DISCARD 


46653 


ff    J4-*  '?€,^tA^-^ 


St.  3ut)e^0 


ST.  JUDE'S 


BY    IAN    MACLAREN    \^ 


i^\^ 


^Cfc^A] 


WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION  BY 

Ralph  Connor 


PHILADELPHIA 

THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  TIMES  COMPANY 

1907 


cil 


Copyright,  1906,  1907,  by  John  Watson 

Copyright,  1907,  by  The  Sunday  School  Times  Company 

Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London,  1907 

Nachliruck  verboten,  Uebersetzungs  Recht  vorbehaltbn 


1lntro&uction 

'X'WELVE  years  ago,  to  while  away  the  hour  of  a 
journey  from  Edinburgh  to  Glasgow,  I  bought 
The  British  Weekly  and  began  to  read,  at  first  idly, 
then  with  interest,  and  at  last  with  delight,  a  story 
entitled  "A  Lad  O'  Pairts."  "  Read  that,"  I  said, 
thrusting  the  paper  into  the  hands  of  my  Scotch 
professor  friend  in  Glasgow.  He  stood  up  at  the 
mantel,  but  had  not  gone  far  in  his  reading  when, 
"Jean,"  he  called  to  his  wife  in  the  next  room, 
"come  in  here  and  listen  to  this  ;  "  and  with  eager, 
almost  fervid  enthusiam  he  began  again,  and  read 
till,  unawares,  his  voice  failed,  broke,  and  I  dis- 
covered him  with  shamed  face  looking  at  us  through 
tears.  "I  know  him,"  he  cried,  when  he  had  done. 
But  loyalty  forbade  that  he  should  tear  aside  the 
veil  his  friend  had  hung  over  his  name. 

A  few  minutes  later,  however,  apropos  of  nothing 
in  particular,  he  introduced  the  name  of  John  Wat- 
son, of  Sefton  Park,  and  I  knew  that  I  had  dis- 
covered the  author  of  "  A  Lad  O'  Pairts. ' '  Through 
the  following  months  I  learned  to  watch  for  The 
British  Weekly,  and,  with  many,  to  love  his  people, 
Domsie  and  Drumsheugh,  Marget  and  Geordie 
Howe,   Donald  Menzies,   Lachlan  Campbell,   Mrs. 

V 


Introduction 

Macfadyen,  Dr.  Maclure,  and  the  rest.  I  love 
them  all  still,  and  ever  shall. 

Now,  with  another  book  by  Ian  Maclaren  in  my 
hands,  comes  the  startling  message  that  he  is  no 
longer  with  us.  I  turn  the  pages  and,  reading,  I 
find  myself  renewing  my  emotions  of  twelve  years 
ago.  Here  is  the  same  pawky  humor,  the  same 
kindly  searching  satire,  the  same  shrewd  analysis  of 
the  theological,  logic-chopping,  conscience-ridden, 
terrible  Scot.  Once  more,  as  twelve  years  ago,  I 
am  conscious  of  that  sudden  rush  of  emotion,  as  the 
drill  in  the  hands  of  this  master  of  his  art,  piercing 
through  the  stubborn  granite  of  canny  worldliness, 
of  rigid  theological  formalism,  reaches  the  living 
spring  of  tenderness.  As  I  turn  the  pages  I  dis- 
cover new  friends  among  Carmichael's  flock,  worthy 
to  stand  with  those  others  I  discovered  twelve  years 
ago  :  the  old  Inquisitor,  Simeon  Mac  Quittrick, 
of  the  deUcious  seven  ;  Colonel  Roderick  MacBean, 
a  new  type  ;  the  inimitable,  majestic  Mrs.  Grimond  ; 
the  soft-hearted  Angus  Sutherland ;  Murchieson, 
with  his  heart  of  limestone  and  lava. 

Alas,  he  is  gone  from  us  !  Only  a  few  weeks  ago 
1  bade  him  farewell.  He  is  gone  from  us,  but  his 
children  are  with  us  still,  and  for  his  sake,  as  for 
their  own,  we  shall  ever  love  them. 

Charles  W.  Gordon. 
("Ralph  Connor.") 

vi 


Contents 

Prologue  :  The  Wisdom  of  Love 3 

A  Local  Inquisition 19 

A  Soldier  of  the  Lord 45 

An  Irregular  Christian 71 

Nathanael 97 

A  Domestic  Difference 123 

A  Ruler  in  Israel     149 

The  Power  of  the  Child     175 

Her  Marriage  Day 201 

Righteous  Overmuch 225 

Euodias  and  Syntyche 249 

A  Faithful  Steward      299 

vii 


Iprologue :  ITbe  TOi0^om  of  Xovc 


prologue : 
Ube  XIGlisOom  ot  %ovc 

It  was  the  custom  in  the  Free  Kirk  of  Dmm- 
tochty  that  the  minister  should  sit  in  the  pulpit 
after  the  service  till  the  church  had  emptied.  As 
the  people  streamed  by  on  either  side,  none  of 
them  would  have  spoken  to  him,  nor  shown  any 
sign  of  recognition,  for  that  would  have  been 
bad  manners,  but  their  faces  softened  into  a 
kindly  expression  as  they  passed,  and  they  con- 
veyed as  by  an  atmosphere  that  they  were  satis- 
fied with  the  sermon,  (li  the  minister,  on  his 
part,  had  descended  from  the  pulpit  and  stood 
below  in  his  gown  and  bands,  shaking  hands  with 
all  and  sundry,  and  making  cheery  remarks,  the 
congregation  would  have  been  scandalized,  and 
would  have  felt  that  he  had  forgotten  the  dig- 
nity of  his  office.  He  was  expected  to  keep  his 
place  with  gracious  solemnity,  as  a  man  who 
had  spoken  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  not  to 
3 


^^c  5-3 


St.  Jude's 

turn  the  church  into  a  place  of  conversation.  If 
he  rose,  and,  leaning  over  the  side  of  the  pulpit, 
asked  a  mother  how  it  fared  with  her  sick  daugh- 
ter, or  stretched  out  his  hand  to  bid  a  young 
man  welcome  after  years  of  absence  from  the 
glen,  this  rare  act  was  invested  with  special  kind- 
liness, and  the  recipients,  together  with  their 
friends,  were  deeply  impressed^  When  old  Bell 
Robb,  who  brought  up  the  tail  of  the  procession, 
used  to  drag  a  little  in  the  passage  with  simple 
art,  arranging  her  well-worn  shawl,  or  replacing 
the  peppermint  leaves  in  her  Bible,  in  order  that 
she  might  get  a  shake  of  the  minister's  hand, 
no  one  grudged  her  his  word  of  good  cheer,  for 
they  knew  what  a  faithful  soul  she  was,  and 
how  kind  she  was  to  blind  Marjorie.  And  if  the 
minister  had  a  message  for  Bell  to  carry  home 
to  Marjorie,  and  Bell  boasted  that  she  never 
went  empty-handed,  the  glen  was  well  content, 
for  no  one  in  its  length  and  breadth  had  suilfered 
so  much  as  Marjorie,  and  none  was  so  full  of 
peace.  Donald  Menzies  would  sometimes  stand 
at  the  pulpit-foot  upon  occasion  till  the  minister 
descended,  but  those  were  days  in  which  his 
4 


The  Wisdom  of  Love 

soul  had  come  out  of  prison,  and  he  rejoiced 
upon  his  high  places.  Otherwise  they  departed 
quietly  from  the  house  of  God.  Then  the  min- 
ister went  up  through  the  silent  church  to  his 
little  vestry,  and  it  was  his  custom  to  turn  at 
the  door  and  look  down  the  church  to  the  pulpit, 
imagining  the  people  again  in  their  pews,  and 
blessing  in  his  heart  the  good  men  and  women 
who  were  now  making  their  way  by  country 
roads  to  their  distant  homes. 

To-day  John  Carmichael  sits  in  the  pulpit 
with  his  head  bent  and  buried  in  his  hands,  for 
he  has  been  deeply  humbled.  When  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  Free  Kirk  he  knew  that  he  could 
not  preach,  for  that  had  been  faithfully  im- 
pressed upon  him  in  his  city  assistantship,  but  it 
was  given  him  during  his  first  six  months  face 
to  face  with  the  critics  of  the  glen  to  learn  how 
vast  was  his  incapacity.  Unto  the  end  of  his 
ministry  he  never  forgot  the  hours  of  travail 
as  he  endeavored  to  prepare  an  exposition  and  a 
sermon  for  the  Sabbath  service.  He  read  every 
commentary  on  the  passage  which  he  possessed, 
and  every  reference  in  books  of  dogma;  he 
5 


St.  Jude's 

hunted  literature  through  for  illustrations,  and 
made  adventurous  voyages  into  science  for  anal- 
ogies. There  was  no  field  from  which  he  did 
not  painfully  gather  except  conventional  relig- 
ious anecdotage,  which  in  even  his  hours  of  de- 
spair he  did  not  touch.  Brick  by  brick  he  built 
up  his  house,  and  then  on  Sunday  it  would  tum- 
ble to  pieces  in  his  hands,  and  present  nothing 
but  a  heap  of  disconnected  remarks  for  the  con- 
sideration of  the  people. 

This  morning  he  had  come  to  a  halt  trying  to 
expound  the  dispute  over  meat  ofifered  to  idols 
in  the  First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  and  he 
had  omitted  one  head  of  his  sermon  and  the 
whole  of  the  practical  application,  simply  because 
he  was  nervous  and  his  memory  had  failed.  But 
he  could  not  conceal  from  himself  that  if  there 
had  been  any  real  unity  in  his  thinking,  and  if 
he  had  been  speaking  at  first  hand,  he  would  not 
have  been  so  helpless.  The  people  were  very 
patient,  and  had  made  no  complaint,  but  there 
was  a  limit,  and  it  must  have  been  reached.  Be- 
sides, it  was  not  honorable  or  tolerable  that  a 
man  should  undertake  the  duties  of  a  profession 
6 


The  Wisdom  of  Love 

and  not  be  able  to  discharge  them.  It  was  now 
evident  that  he  could  not  preach,  and  it  did  not 
seem  likely  he  would  ever  be  able  to  do  so,  and 
as  in  the  Kirk  no  man  can  ever  have  the  most 
modest  success  or  the  narrowest  sphere  of  labor 
unless  he  can  produce  some  sort  of  sermon,  his 
duty  seemed  plain.  He  had  not  chosen  the  min- 
istry of  his  own  accord,  but  had  entered  it  to 
please  one  whose  kindness  he  could  never  repay. 
His  action  had  been  a  service  of  piety,  but  it 
had  been  a  mistake  in  practice,  and  one  thing 
only  remained  for  him.  During  the  week  he 
would  consult  the  only  person  affected  by  his 
step  and  resign  his  charge.  The  people  troop- 
ing by,  with  nothing  but  friendly  thoughts  of 
him,  could  not  guess  how  bitter  a  cup  their  min- 
ister was  drinking,  but  the  sound  of  their  foot- 
steps fell  upon  his  heart  like  drops  of  fire.  There 
were  other  fields  open  to  him,  and  he  might  live 
to  do  good  work  in  his  day,  but  his  public  life 
had  started  with  a  disastrous  failure,  and  as  long 
as  he  lived  he  would  walk  humbly.  When  the 
last  of  the  congregation  had  left,  and  there  was 
not  a  sound  except  a  thrush  welcoming  spring 
7 


St.  Jude's 

with  his  cheerful  note,  and  caring  not  that  win- 
ter had  settled  down  upon  a  human  soul,  Car- 
michael  rose  and  crept  up  the  forsaken  church, 
a  broken  man. 

And  as  he  stood  in  the  vestry,  his  chin  sunk 
on  his  chest,  and  resolved  to  wait  there  for  a 
little  lest  a  straggler  should  be  loitering  about 
the  manse  gate,  some  one  knocked  at  the  door. 
It  was  the  elder  who,  of  all  the  session,  was 
chiefly  loved  and  respected.  As  soon  as  Car- 
michael  saw  his  face,  he  knew  as  by  an  instinct 
why  he  had  come  and  what  he  was  going  to  say. 
If  there  was  any  difficult  task  in  the  congre- 
gational life  requiring  both  courage  and  delicacy, 
it  was  always  laid  on  Angus  Sutherland,  and  he 
never  failed  to  acquit  himself  well.  Never  had 
he  come  on  a  more  unwelcome  errand,  and  Car- 
michael  felt  that  he  must  make  the  course  as 
smooth  as  possible,  for,  without  doubt,  the  elder 
had  been  sent  to  make  a  just  complaint.  It 
required  a  brave  man  to  come,  and  Carmichael 
must  also  play  the  man,  so  he  pulled  himself  to- 
gether, and  gave  a  courteous  and,  as  far  as  he 
could,  a  cheerful  welcome  to  the  good  elder. 
8 


The  Wisdom  of  Love 

"It  is  good  weather  that  we  are  having,  sir," 
began  Angus,  speaking  English  with  the  soft 
Gaehc  accent,  for  he  was  a  West  Highlander 
who  had  settled  in  the  glen.  "It  is  good  to  see 
the  beginning  of  spring.  We  will  be  hoping  that 
the  spirit  of  God  may  make  spring  in  our  own 
hearts,  and  then  we  shall  also  be  lifting  up  our 
voices.  But  I  must  not  be  detaining  you,  when 
you  will  be  very  tired  with  your  work  and  be 
needing  rest.  Maybe  I  should  not  be  troubling 
you  at  all  at  this  time,  but  I  have  been  sent  by 
the  elders  with  a  message,  not  because  I  am  bet- 
ter than  my  brethren,  but  only  because  it  is  my 
fortune  to  be  a  little  older." 

Carmichael  knew  then  that  he  was  right  in 
his  anticipation,  and  he  asked  Angus  to  say  what 
was  given  him  frankly,  and  to  make  no  delay. 
And  he  tried  to  speak  gently  and  humbly,  for 
in  truth  his  own  conscience  was  with  the  elders, 
and,  as  he  believed,  their  embassy. 

"You  may  not  know,  sir,  but  I  will  be  telling 
you,  that  after  the  service  is  over,  and  the  peo- 
ple have  gone  out  from  the  house  of  God,  the 
elders  speak  together  below  the  big  beech-tree, 
9 


St.  Jude*s 

and  their  speech  will  be  about  the  worship  and 
the  sermon.  You  are  not  to  think,"  added  Angus 
with  a  gracious  smile,  "that  they  will  be  criti- 
cizing what  is  said,  or  hardening  their  heart 
against  the  counsel  of  the  Lord  declared  by  the 
mouth  of  his  servant.  Oh,  no ;  we  will  rather  be 
storing  up  the  bread  of  God,  that  we  may  eat 
thereof  during  the  days  of  the  week,  and  have 
strength  for  the  way." 

Carmichael  assured  Angus  that  he  knew  how 
fair-minded  and  kind-hearted  the  elders  were, 
both  in  word  and  deed.  And  he  braced  himself 
for  what  was  coming. 

"This  morning,"  continued  Angus,  "the  elders 
were  all  there,  and  when  we  looked  at  one  an- 
other's faces,  we  were  all  judging  that  the  same 
thing  will  be  in  our  hearts.  It  was  with  us  for 
weeks,  and  it  was  growing,  and  to-day  it  came 
to  speech.  We  knew  that  we  were  not  meeting 
together  as  the  session,  and  it  is  not  business  I 
will  be  coming  with ;  we  met  as  the  elders  of  the 
flock,  and  it  is  as  your  friend  that  I  am  here  in 
much  humility.  But  it  is  not  easy  for  this  man 
to  say  what  has  been  laid  upon  him." 

lO 


The  Wisdom  of  Love 

Carmichael  was  sorry  for  him,  and  signed  him 
to  go  on. 

"You  were  chosen,  I  will  be  reminding  you," 
said  Angus,  with  a  gracious  expression  on  his 
face,  "by  the  good  will  of  all  the  people,  and  it 
was  a  very  proud  day  when  the  clerk  of  the  Pres- 
bytery stood  in  his  place  and  said  that  the  call 
would  be  left  with  the  elders,  so  that  all  the  peo- 
ple might  be  having  the  opportunity  of  signing 
it,  and  I  stood  up  and  replied  to  the  reverend 

gentleman, ,  it  is  not  necessary;  they  have 

all  signed.'  Oh,  yes,  and  so  they  had,  every 
man  and  every  woman  that  was  upon  the  roll. 
And  the  young  people,  they  had  written  their 
names,  too,  upon  the  paper  of  adherence,  every 
one  above  sixteen  years  of  age.  And  the  very 
children  would  be  wishing,  that  day,  that  they 
had  something  to  sign,  for  the  hearts  of  the 
people  had  gone  out  towards  you,  and  there  was 
one  voice  in  every  mouth,  "Blessed  is  he  that 
Cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

Carmichael  gave  Angus  to  understand  that  he 
would  never  forget  those  things  while  he  lived, 
and  that  he  prayed  God  that  he  might  be  a  better 
iz 


St.  Jude's 

man  for  the  people's  confidence  in  him.  But  his 
heart  was  beginning  to  break  as  he  thought  of 
their  bitter  disappointment,  and  the  trust  which 
had  failed  in  his  hands. 

*'It  is  six  months  since  you  entered  upon  your 
ministry  among  us,  and  you  will  not  be  angry 
with  me  if  I  am  saying  to  you  that  you  are  very 
young  to  have  so  heavy  a  weight  upon  you,  for 
there  is  no  burden  like  the  burden  of  souls.  And 
the  elders  will  be  noticing,  and  so  will  all  the 
people,  for  they  are  not  without  understanding, 
in  Drumtochty,  that  you  are  giving  yourself  with 
all  your  mind  and  all  your  heart  unto  the  work 
of  the  Lord.  The  people  are  seeing  that  what- 
soever talents  the  Lord  has  been  pleased  to 
give  are  laid  out  at  usury,  and  they  are  judging 
you  very  faithful,  both  in  your  study  and  in 
their  homes.  But,"  softening  his  voice  till  it 
was  like  a  whisper  at  eventide,  "you  are  very 
young,  and  the  ministry  of  the  Lord  is  very  ardu- 
ous." 

Amid  all  his  sufifering  Carmichael  could  not 
help  admiring  the  courtesy  and  consideration 
with  which  Angus  presented  the  petition  of  the 

12 


The  Wisdom  of  Love 

session,  and  he  asked  Angus  to  declare  at  once 
all  that  was  in  his  mind. 

"So  the  elders  considered  that  the  full  time 
had  come  for  their  saying  something  to  you,  and 
I  was  charged  by  them  all  to  wait  upon  you  in 
this  place,  and  to  say  unto  you  on  behalf  of  the 
elders  of  the  flock,  and  all  the  flock  which  is 
under  your  care"  (and  now  it  is  impossible  to 
imagine  the  tenderness  in  his  voice),  "that  we 
are  all  thankful  unto  God  that  he  sent  you  to 
be  our  minister,  and  that  we  are  all  wondering 
at  the  treasures  of  truth  and  grace  which  you 
will  be  bringing  to  us  every  Sabbath,  for  we  are 
being  fed  with  the  finest  of  the  wheat.  Oh, 
yes,  it  is  not  the  chaff  of  empty  words,  but  the 
white  bread  of  God  which  is  given  unto  the  peo- 
ple. And  the  very  children  will  have  their  por- 
tion, and  will  be  saying  pleasant  words  about  the 
minister  as  they  go  along  the  road." 

Carmichael  was  as  one  that  dreamed,  for  no 

man  had  ever  spoken  of  his  preaching  after  this 

fashion.    This  strange  thing  also  happened,  that 

while  a  minute  before  the  manhood  in  him  had 

13 


St.  Jude's 

been  strong,  it  now  began  to  weaken  and  fail, 
and  Angus  still  continued: 

"The  elders  will  also  be  noticing  that  your 
words  are  heavy-laden  with  the  greatness  of  the 
truth,  and  that  you  are  sometimes  brought  to 
silence  as  it  has  happened  unto  God's  prophets 
in  the  ancient  time.  We  will  all  be  wanting  to 
hear  everything  that  the  Lord  has  given  unto 
you,  and  to  lay  it  past,  even  to  the  smallest  grain, 
in  our  souls,  and  so  if  at  any  time  it  appears 
unto  you  as  if  some  part  of  the  message  has 
not  been  given,  we  would  count  it  a  great  kind- 
ness that  you  should  go  over  the  truth  again, 
and  if  it  would  be  helping  you  to  meditate  for  a 
space  we  would  all  be  glad  to  sing  a  psalm,  for 
we  have  plenty  of  time,  and  it  is  good  to  be  in 
the  Kirk  of  Drumtochty  during  these  days." 

Carmichael  was  learning  that  hour  that  kind- 
ness takes  all  pride  even  out  of  a  young  man,  and 
turns  him  into  a  little  child.  As  he  could  find  no 
words,  and  indeed  was  afraid  that  he  had  no 
voice  wherewith  to  utter  them,  Angus  went  on 
his  way  without  interruption,  and  came  to  the 
end  in  much  peace. 

14 


The  Wisdom  of  Love 

"There  was  just  one  other  thing  that  the 
brethren  laid  upon  me  to  say,  and  it  was  Donald 
Menzies  who  would  not  let  me  go  till  I  had 
promised,  and  you  will  not  be  considering  it  a 
liberty  from  the  elders.  You  are  never  to  be 
troubled  in  the  pulpit,  or  be  thinking  about  any- 
thing but  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  the  souls  of 
the  people,  of  which  you  are  the  shepherd.  We 
will  ask  you  to  remember  when  you  stand  in 
your  place  to  speak  to  us  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  that  as  the  smoke  goeth  up  from  the 
homes  of  the  people  in  the  morning,  so  will  their 
prayers  be  ascending  for  their  minister,  and  as 
you  look  down  upon  us  before  you  begin  to 
speak,  maybe  you  will  say  to  yourself,  next  Sab- 
bath, they  are  all  loving  me.  Oh,  yes,  and  it 
will  be  true  from  the  oldest  to  the  youngest,  we 
will  all  be  loving  you  very  much." 

Angus  Sutherland  was,  like  all  his  kind,  a  very 
perfect  gentleman,  and  he  left  immediately,  so 
gently  that  Carmichael  did  not  hear  his  going. 
When  the  minister  passed  through  the  garden 
gate  half  an  hour  afterwards  there  was  no  man 
to  be  seen,  but  the  birds  on  every  branch  were 
IS 


St.  Jude's 

in  full  song,  and  he  marked  that  the  hawthorn 
had  begun  to  bloom.  And  that  is  why  John  Car- 
michael  remained  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus  Christ, 
most  patient  and  most  mindful  of  masters. 


16 


H  'was  the  kindness  of  Dramtochiy 
thai  made  Carmichaet  strong  for 
his  loork  in  St,  Jude^s/' 

Ian  Madaren, 


H  Xocal  Unqufsitton 

His  first  service  in  St.  Jude's  Church  was  over 
and  Carmichael  had  broken  upon  his  modest  din- 
ner with  such  appetite  as  high  excitement  had 
left;  for  it  is  a  fact  in  the  physiology  of  a  min- 
ister that  if  he  preaches  coldly  he  eats  vora- 
ciously, but  if  his  soul  has  been  at  a  white  heat 
his  body  is  lifted  above  food..  It  had  been  a 
great  change  from  the  little  kirk  of  Drumtochty, 
with  its  congregation  of  a  hundred  country 
people,  to  the  crowd  which  filled  every  corner 
of  the  floor  below  and  the  galleries  above  in  the 
city  church.  While  the  light  would  that  Sunday 
be  streaming  into  the  Highland  kirk  and  lighting 
up  the  honest,  healthy  faces  of  the  hearers,  the 
gas  had  been  lighted  in  St.  Jude's,  for  the  Glas- 
gow atmosphere  was  gloomy  outside,  and  when 
it  filtered  through  painted  windows  was  as  dark- 
ness inside. 

There  is  no  loneliness  like  that  of  a  solitary 
man  in  a  crowd,  and  Carmichael  missed  the 
19 


St.  Judc's 

company  and  sympathy  of  his  friends.  This 
mass  of  city  people,  with  their  eager  expression, 
white  faces  and  suggestion  of  wealth,  who 
turned  their  eyes  upon  him  when  he  began  to 
preach,  and  seemed  to  be  one  huge  court  of 
judgment,  shadowed  his  imagination.  They  were 
partly  his  new  congregation  and  partly  a  Glas- 
gow audience,  but  there  were  only  two  men  in 
the  whole  church  he  knew,  and  even  those  he 
had  only  known  for  a  few  months. 

When  he  rose  to  preach,  with  the  heavy  pall 
of  the  city's  smoke  and  the  city  fog  encompass- 
ing the  church,  and  the  glare  of  the  evil-smelling 
gas  lighting  up  its  Gothic  recesses,  his  heart 
sank  and  for  the  moment  he  lost  courage.  Was 
it  for  this  dreary  gloom  and  packed  mass  of 
strange  people  that  he  had  left  the  sunlight  of 
the  glen  and  the  warm  atmosphere  of  true 
hearts  ?  There  were  reasons  why  he  had  judged 
it  his  duty  to  accept  the  charge  of  this  West  End 
Glasgow  church,  and  selfish  ambition  had  cer- 
tainly not  been  one,  for  Carmichael  was  a  man 
rather  of  foolish  impulses  than  of  far-seeing  pru- 
dence. He  had  done  many  things  suddenly 
20 


A  Local  Inquisition 

which  he  had  regretted  continually,  and  for  an 
instant,  as  he  faced  his  new  environment  and 
before  he  gave  out  his  text,  he  wished  that  by 
some  touch  of  that  fairy  wand  which  we  are  ever 
desiring  to  set  our  mistakes  right  or  to  give  us 
our  impossible  desires,  he  could  be  spirited  away 
from,  the  city  which  as  a  countryman  he  always 
hated,  back  to  the  glen  which  he  would  ever 
carry  in  his  heart. 

While  vain  regret  is  threatening  to  disable 
him  the  people  are  singing  with  a  great  volume 
of  melody : 

Jerusalem  as  a  city  is  compactly  built  together; 
Unto  that  place  the  tribes  go  up,  the  tribes  of  God 
go  thither: 

and  his  mood  changes.  After  all,  the  ocean  is 
greater  than  any  river,  however  picturesque  and 
romantic  it  be,  and  no  one  with  a  susceptible 
soul  can  be  indifferent  to  the  unspoken  appeal  of 
a  multitude  of  human  beings.  Old  and  young  of 
all  kinds  and  conditions,  from  the  captains  of 
industry  whose  names  were  famous  throughout 
the  world  to  the  young  men  who  had  come  up 
from  remote  villages  to  push  their  fortune,  to- 

2Z 


St.  Jude's 

gather  with  all  kinds  of  professional  men  ad- 
ministering justice,  relieving  suffering,  teaching 
knowledge,  were  gathered  together  to  hear  what 
the  preacher  had  to  say  in  the  name  of  God. 
His  message  would  be  quickly  caught  by  the 
keen  city  intellect  and  would  pass  into  the  most 
varied  homes  and  into  the  widest  lives,  and  there 
was  an  opportunity  of  spiritual  power  in  this 
city  pulpit  which  the  green  wilderness  could  not 
give. 

As  he  looked  upon  the  sea  of  faces  the  depths 
of  Carmichael's  nature  were  stirred,  and  when 
his  lips  were  opened  he  had  forgotten  every- 
thing except  the  drama  of  humanity  in  its  trag- 
edy and  in  its  comedy,  and  the  evangel  of  Jesus 
committed  into  his  hands.  He  spoke  with  power 
as  one  touched  by  the  very  spirit  of  his  Master, 
and  in  the  vestry  the  rulers  of  the  church  re- 
ferred to  his  sermon  with  a  gracious  and  encour- 
aging note.  He  walked  home  through  the 
gloomy  street  with  a  high  head,  and  in  his  own 
room,  and  in  a  way  the  public  might  not  see, 
he  received  the  congratulation  he  valued  more 
than  anything  else  on  earth.      For  Kate  was 

32 


A  Local  Inquisition 

proud  that  day  of  her  man,  and  she  was  not 
slow  either  in  praise  or  blame  as  occasion  re- 
quired, being  through  all  circumstances,  both 
dark  and  bright,  a  woman  of  the  ancient  High- 
land spirit.  She  was  not  to  be  many  years  by 
his  side,  and  their  married  life  was  not  to  be 
without  its  shadows,  but  through  the  days  they 
were  together  his  wife  stood  loyally  at  Car- 
michael's  right  hand,  and  when  she  was  taken  he 
missed  many  things  in  his  home  and  heart,  but 
most  of  all  her  words  of  cheer,  when  in  her  hon- 
est judgment,  not  otherwise,  he  had  carried  him- 
self right  knightly  in  the  lists  of  life. 

His  nerves  were  on  edge,  and  although  it 
mattered  little  that  he  was  interrupted  at  dinner, 
for  he  knew  not  what  he  was  eating,  he  was  not 
anxious  to  see  a  visitor.  If  it  were  another 
elder  come  to  say  kind  things,  he  must  receive 
him  courteously,  but  Carmichael  had  had  enough 
of  praise  that  day;  and  if  it  were  a  reporter 
desiring  an  interview  he  would  assure  him  that 
he  had  nothing  to  say,  and  as  a  consolation  hand 
him  his  manuscript  to  make  up  a  quarter  column. 
But  it  was  neither  a  city  merchant  nor  a  news- 
?3 


St.  Jude's 

paper  reporter  who  was  waiting  in  the  study; 
indeed,  one  could  not  have  found  in  the  city  a 
more  arresting  and  instructive  contrast. 

In  the  center  of  the  room,  detached  from  the 
bookcase  and  the  writing  table,  refusing  the  use 
of  a  chair,  and  despising  the  very  sight  of  a 
couch,  stood  isolated  and  self-contained  the 
most  austere  man  Carmichael  had  ever  seen,  or 
was  ever  to  meet  in  his  life.  He  had  met  Cal- 
vinism in  its  glory  among  Celts,  but  he  had  only 
known  sweet-blooded  mystics  like  Donald  Men- 
zies  or  Pharisees  converted  into  saints,  like 
Lachlan  Campbell,  the  two  Highland  elders  of 
Drumtochty.  It  was  another  story  to  be  face  to 
face  with  the  inflexible  and  impenetrable  subject 
of  Lowland  Calvinism.  Whether  Calvinism  or 
Catholicism  be  the  more  congenial  creed  for 
Celtic  nature  may  be  a  subject  of  debate,  but 
when  Calvinism  takes  hold  of  a  Lowland  Scot 
of  humble  birth  and  moderate  education  and 
intense  mind  there  is  no  system  which  can  pro- 
duce so  uncompromising  and  unrelenting  a  par- 
tisan. 

Carmichael  always  carried  in  mental  photo- 
24 


A  Local  Inquisition 

graph  the  appearance  of  Simeon  MacQuittrick 
as  he  faced  him  that  day — his  tall,  gaunt  figure, 
in  which  the  bones  of  his  body,  like  those  of 
his  creed,  were  scarcely  concealed,  his  erect  and 
uncompromising  attitude,  his  carefully-brushed, 
well-worn  clothes,  his  clean-shaven,  hard-lined 
face,  his  iron  gray  hair  smoothed  down  across 
his  forehead,  and,  above  all,  his  keen,  searching, 
merciless  gray  eyes.  Before  Simeon  spoke  Car- 
michael  knew  that  he  was  anti-pathetic,  and  had 
come  to  censure,  and  his  very  presence,  as  from 
the  iron  dungeon  of  his  creed  Simeon  looked  out 
on  the  young,  light-hearted,  optimistic  minister 
of  St.  Jude's,  was  like  a  sudden  withering  frost 
upon  the  gay  and  generous  blossom  of  spring, 
"My  name  is  Simeon  MacQuittrick,"  began 
the  visitor,  "and  I'm  a  hearer  at  St.  Jude's,  al- 
though I  use  that  name  under  protest,  consider- 
ing that  the  calling  of  kirks  after  saints  is  a  rag 
of  popery,  and  judging  that  the  McBriar  Me- 
morial, after  a  faithful  Covenanter,  would  have 
been  more  in  keeping  with  the  principles  of  the 
pure  Kirk  of  Scotland.  But  we  can  discuss  that 
matter  another  day,  and  I  am  merely  protecting 
25 


St.  Jude*s 

my  rights."  As  Carmichael  only  Indicated  that 
he  had  received  the  protest,  and  was  willing  to 
hear  anything  else  he  had  to  say,  Simeon  con- 
tinued : 

"Whether  I  be  one  of  the  true  Israel  of  God 
or  only  a  man  who  is  following  the  chosen  peo- 
ple like  a  hanger-on  from  the  land  of  Egypt  is 
known  to  God  alone,  and  belongs  to  his  secret 
things ;  but  I  have  been  a  professor  of  religion, 
and  a  member  of  the  kirk  for  six-and-forty 
years,  since  the  fast  day  at  Ecclefechan  when 
that  faithful  servant  of  God,  Dr.  Ebenezer 
Howison,  preached  for  more  than  two  hours  on 
the  words,  'Many  be  called,  but  few  are 
chosen.' "  And  Carmichael  waited  in  silence  for 
the  burden  of  Simeon's  message. 

"It  was  my  first  intention,"  proceeded  Simeon, 
as  he  fixed  Carmichael  with  his  severe  gaze,  "to 
deal  wi'  the  sermon  to  which  we  have  been  lis- 
tening, and  which  I  will  say  plainly  has  not  been 
savory  to  the  spiritual  and  understanding  souls 
in  the  congregation,  although  I  make  no  doubt 
it  has  pleasantly  tickled  the  ears  of  the  worldly. 
But  I  Vv^ill  pretermit  the  subject  for  the  present 
26 


A  Local  Inquisition 

■ — first,  because  time  would  fail  us  to  go  into  it 
thoroughly,  and  second  because  I  am  come  to 
offer  a  better  opportunity."  Carmichael  indi- 
cated without  speech  that  Simeon  should  go  on 
to  the  end. 

"Ye  will  understand,  Mr.  Carmichael,  that  the 
congregation  gathering  in  your  kirk  is  a  mixed 
multitude,  and  the  maist  part  are  taken  up  wi' 
worldly  gear  and  carnal  pleasures  like  dinners, 
dancing,  concerts  and  games ;  they  know  neither 
the  difference  between  sound  doctrine  and  un- 
sound, nor  between  the  secret  signs  of  saving 
faith  and  the  outward  forms  of  ordinary  re- 
ligion; as  for  the  sovereignty  of  the  Almighty, 
whereby  one  is  elected  unto  light  and  another 
left  unto  damnation,  whilk  is  the  very  heart  o' 
religion,  they  know  and  care  nothing. 

"Gin  the  Lord  has  indeed  given  ye  a  true  com- 
mission and  ye  have  been  ordained  not  by  the 
layin'  on  o'  hands,  whilk  I  judge  to  be  a  matter 
of  kirk  order  and  not  needful  for  the  imparting 
of  grace,  as  the  Prelatists  contend,  but  by  the 
inward  call  of  God,  it  will  be  your  business  to 
pull  down  every  stronghold  of  lies,  and  to 
27 


St.  Jude's 

awaken  them  that  be  at  ease  in  Zion  with  the 
terrors  of  the  Lord.  And  ye  might  begin  with 
the  elders  who  are  rich  and  increased  in  goods, 
and  who  think  they  have  need  of  nothing.  But 
I  have  my  doubts."  And  the  doubts  seemed  a 
certainty,  but  whether  they  were  chiefly  about 
the  elders'  unspiritual  condition  or  Carmichael's 
need  of  a  true  call  Simeon  did  not  plainly  indi- 
cate. 

"I  am  very  sorry,  Mr.  MacQuittrick" — and 
Carmichael  spoke  for  the  first  time — "that  you 
consider  the  congregation  to  be  in  such  a  dis- 
couraging condition,  especially  after  the  faithful 
ministry  of  my  honored  predecessor,  but  I  trust 
out  of  such  a  large  number  of  people  that  there 
must  be  a  number  of  sincere  and  intelligent 
Christians."  Which  was  a  bait  Simeon  could 
not  resist. 

"Ye  speak  according  to  the  Scriptures,  Mr. 
Carmichael,  for  in  the  darkest  days  when  Elijah 
testified  against  the  priests  of  Baal — and  he  is 
sorely  needed  to-day,  for  there  be  many  kinds 
of  Baal — there  were  seven  thousand  faithful 
people.  Yea,  there  has  always  been  a  remnant, 
28 


A  Local  Inquisition 

and  even  in  those  days  when  the  multitude  that 
call  themselves  by  the  name  of  the  Lord  are 
hankering  after  organs  and  hymns  and  soirees 
and  Arminian  doctrine,  there  be  a  few  who  have 
kept  their  garments  unspotted,  and  who  mourn 
over  the  backslidings  of  Zion." 

"Well,  I  hope,  Mr.  MacQuittrick,  that  some 
of  the  remnant  can  be  found  in  St.  Jude's."  And 
Carmichael  began  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the 
situation. 

"It  doesna'  become  me  to  boast,  for  indeed 
there  are  times  when  I  see  myself  in  the  court 
of  the  Gentiles,  aye,  and  maybe  in  the  outer 
darkness,  but  ye  will  be  pleased  to  know  that 
there  are  seven  men  who  meet  ae  night  every 
week  to  protest  against  false  doctrine,  and  to 
search  into  the  experiences  o'  the  soul.  Myself 
and  another  belong  to  the  faithful  remnant  of  the 
Scots  Kirk,  whilk  the  world  calls  the  Camero- 
nians ;  two  have  been  members  wi'  the  original 
secession;  ane  came  from  the  black  darkness 
o'  the  Established  Kirk;  and  two  were  brought 
up  in  the  Free  Kirk,  and  I'll  not  deny,  had  a 
glimmerin'  o'  light.  When  the  godly  minister 
29 


St.  Jude*s 

who  has  gone  to  his  reward,  as  we  will  hope, 
but  the  day  alone  will  declare,  lifted  up  his  voice 
in  the  pulpit  of  St.  Jude's  against  Sunday  cars, 
opening  the  girdens  on  the  Lord's  Day,  singing 
paraphrases  at  public  worship,  the  worldly  pro- 
posals for  union  with  the  Voluntaries,  the 
preaching  of  teetotalism,  and  the  blasphemy  of 
the  Higher  Critics,  we  came  to  this  kirk  and 
foregathered  here  as  in  a  haven  of  refuge. 

"It  came  to  our  mind,  Mr.  Carmichael" — and 
the  representative  of  the  remnant  concluded  his 
message — "that  it  would  strengthen  your  hands 
to  know  that  ye  have  some  discernin'  professors 
in  your  kirk,  with  whom  ye  could  search  into 
the  deep  things  of  God  which  might  be  beyond 
the  depths  of  youth,  and  who  will  try  the  doc- 
trine which  ye  may  deliver  from  Sabbath  to 
Sabbath.  And  we  will  be  gathered  together  on 
Thursday  night  at  272  Water  street,  by  eight 
o'clock,  to  confer  with  you  on  the  things  of  the 
kingdom." 

When  Carmichael  arrived  at  the  meeting-place 
of  the  remnant  he  had  a  sense  of  a  spiritual  ad- 
venture, and  when  he  looked  at  the  seven  gray 
30 


A  Local  Inquisition 

and  austere  faces,  he  imagined  himself  before 
the  Inquisition.  His  host — the  brand  plucked 
from  the  burning  of  the  Establishment — shook 
hands  with  gravity,  and  gave  him  a  vacant  chair 
at  the  table,  where  before  him  and  on  either  side 
sat  the  elect.  After  a  prayer  by  an  original 
seceder,  in  which  the  history  of  the  Scots 
Kirk  from  the  Reformation  and  her  defections 
in  the  present  day  were  treated  at  considerable 
length  and  with  great  firmness  of  touch,  and 
some  very  frank  petitions  were  offered  for  his 
own  enlightenment,  the  court  was,  so  to  say, 
constituted,  and  he  was  placed  at  the  bar.  If 
Carmichael  imagined,  which  indeed  he  did  not, 
that  this  was  to  be  a  friendly  conference  be- 
tween a  few  experienced  Christians  and  their 
young  minister,  he  was  very  soon  undeceived, 
for  the  president  of  the  court  called  upon  Sim- 
eon's fellow-covenanter  to  state  the  first  ques- 
tion. 

"It  is  one,  Mr.  Carmichael,  which  goes  to  the 

root  of  things,  for  he  that  is  right  here  will  be 

right  everywhere ;  he  that  goes  astray  here  will 

end   in   the   bottomless   pit   of    false    doctrine. 

31 


St.  Jude's 

Whether  would  ye  say  that  Christ  died  upon  the 
cross  for  the  salvation  of  the  whole  world,  and 
that  therefore  a  proveesion  was  made  for  the 
pardon  of  all  men  gin  they  should  repent  and 
believe,  or  that  he  died  only  for  the  sins  of  them 
whom  God  hath  chosen  unto  everlasting  life, 
and  who  therefore  shall  verily  be  saved  accord- 
ing to  the  will  of  God."  And  there  was  a  si- 
lence that  might  be  heard  while  the  seven  waited 
for  the  minister's  answer. 

When  Carmichael  boldly  declared  that  the  di- 
vine love  embraced  the  human  race  which  God 
had  called  into  being,  and  that  Christ  as  the  In- 
carnate Saviour  of  the  world  had  laid  down  his 
life  not  for  a  few  but  for  the  race,  and  that 
therefore  there  was  freeness  of  pardon  and 
fulness  of  grace  for  all  men,  and  when  finally 
he  called  God  by  the  name  of  Father,  the  in- 
quisitors sighed  in  unison.  They  looked  like  men 
who  had  feared  the  worst,  and  were  not  dis- 
appointed. 

"Arminianism  pure  and  simple,"  said  one  of 
the  favored  children  of  the  Free  Kirk,  "con- 
trary to  the  Scriptures  and  the  standards  of  the 
33 


A  Local  Inquisition 

Kirk.  Jacob  have  I  loved,  Esau  have  I  hated; 
a  strait  gate  and  a  narrow  way,  and  few  there 
be  that  find  it.  And  the  end  of  this  deceiving 
error  which  pleases  the  silly  heart  is  Universal- 
ism — nae  difference  between  the  elect  and  the 
multitude.  But  there  were  ither  questions,  and 
our  brother  Mr.  MacCosh  will  maybe  put  the 
second."  Although  it  was  evident  hope  was 
dying  out  both  for  Carmichael  and  for  the  in- 
quisitors. 

"Do  ye  believe,  Mr.  Carmichael,  and  will  ye 
preach  that  the  offer  of  the  gospel  should  be 
made  to  all  men  in  the  congregation,  and  that 
any  man  who  accepts  that  offer,  as  he  considers, 
will  see  the  salvation  of  God ;  or  will  ye  teach 
that  while  the  offer  is  made  in  general  terms  to 
everybody  with  words  such  as,  'Come  unto  me 
all  ye  that  labor,'  it  is  only  intended  for  certain 
who  are  already  within  the  covenant  of  redemp- 
tion, and  that  they  alone  will  be  enabled  by 
effectual  grace  to  accept  it,  and  that  for  them 
alone  there  is  a  place  at  the  marriage  feast? 

"And  I  am  asking  this  question  because  there 
are  so-called  evangelists  going  up  and  down  the 
33 


St.  Jude's 

land  offering  the  invitation  of  the  kingdom  unto 
all  and  sundry,  and  forgetting  to  tell  the  people, 
if  indeed  they  know  it  themselves,  that  it  mat- 
ters not  how  freely  Christ  be  offered,  and  how 
anxious  they  may  be  to  take  him,  none  of  them 
can  lift  a  little  finger  in  his  direction  unless  by 
the  power  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit  is  only 
given  to  them  who  have  been  in  the  covenant 
from  all  eternity." 

Carmichael  felt  as  if  he  were  again  making  his 
vows  before  ordination,  and  any  sense  of  the 
ludicrous  which  was  a  snare  unto  him  and  had 
tempted  him  when  he  came  into  the  room,  was 
burned  out.  He  was  face  to  face  with  a  con- 
scientious and  thoroughgoing  theology,  against 
whose  inhumanity  and  ungraciousness  both  his 
reason  and  his  soul  revolted. 
f"May  I  in  turn  put  a  question  to  you,  sir,  and 
the  other  brethren,  and  if  you  will  answer  mine  I 
will  answer  yours.  Would  you  consider  it  hon- 
est, I  will  not  say  kindly,  to  invite  twelve  men 
to  come  to  dinner  at  your  house,  all  the  more 
if  they  were  poor  and  starving,  and  to  beseech 
them  to  accept  your  invitation  in  the  most  tender 
34 


A  Local  Inquisition 

terms,  while  you  only  intended  to  have  six 
guests,  or  shall  I  say  three  out  of  the  twelve, 
and  had  been  careful  to  make  provision  for  only 
three?  You  would  despise  such  a  host,  and, 
Mr.  MacCosh,  will  you  seriously  consider  God 
to  be  more  treacherous  and  dishonorable  than 
we  frail  mortals?^ 

"Very  superfeecial,"  burst  in  Simeon;  "there 
is  no  question  to  be  answered.  Human  analo- 
gies are  deceiving,  for  nae  man  can  argue  from 
the  ways  of  man  to  the  ways  of  God,  or  else 
ye  would  soon  be  expectin'  that  the  Almighty 
would  deal  wi'  us  the  same  as  a  father  maun 
deal  wi'  his  bairns,  which  is  the  spring  o'  that 
soul-destroying  heresy,  the  so-called  Fatherhood 
of  God.  Na,  na" — and  MacQuittrick's  face 
glowed  with  dogmatic  enthusiasm,  in  which  the 
thought  of  his  own  destiny  and  that  of  his  fel- 
low-humans was  lost — "he  is  the  potter  and  we 
are  the  clay.  Gin  he  makes  one  vessel  for  glory 
and  another  for  shame — aye,  and  even  gin  he 
dashes  it  to  pieces,  it  is  within  his  just  richts. 
Wha  are  we  to  complain  or  to  question?  Ane 
cot  o'  twelve  saved  would  be  wonderful  mercy, 
35 


St.  Jude's 

and  the  eleven  would  be  to  the  praise  of  his  jus- 
tice." And  a  low  hum  of  assent  passed  round 
the  room. 

"After  what  has  passed,  I'm  not  judging  that 
it  will  serve  ony  useful  purpose  to  pit  the  third 
question,  Mr.  MacCosh,"  said  the  brand  from 
the  Establishment,  "but  it  might  be  as  well  to 
complete  the  investigation.  It's  a  sore  trial  to 
think  that  the  man  whom  we  called  to  be  our 
minister,  and  who  is  set  over  the  congregation 
in  spiritual  affairs  knows  so  little  of  the  pure 
truth,  and  has  fallen  into  sae  mony  soul-enticing 
errors.  Oh !  this  evil  day ;  we  have  heard  wi'  our 
ain  ears  in  this  very  room,  and  this  very  nicht, 
first  Arminianism,  and  then  Morisonianism,  the 
heresy  of  a  universal  atonement  and  of  a  free 
offer.  I'll  do  Mr.  Carmichael  justice  in  believin' 
that  he  is  no  as  yet  at  ony  rate  a  Socinian,  but 
I'm  expecting  that  he's  a  Pelagian.  Oor  last 
question  will  settle  the  point. 

"Is  it  your  judgment,  Mr.  Carmichael" — and 

there  was  a  tone  of  despair  in  the  voice  of  the 

president — "that  a  natural  man,  and  by  that  I 

mean  a  man  acting  without  an  experience  of 

36 


A  Local  Inquisition 

effectual  and  saving  grace  given  only  to  the 
elect,  can  perform  any  work  whatever  which 
would  be  acceptable  to  God,  or  whether  it  be 
not  true  that  everything  he  does  is  altogether 
sinful,  and  that  although  he  be  bound  to  attempt 
good  works  in  the  various  duties  of  life  they  will 
all  be  condemned  and  be  the  cause  of  his  greater 
damnation?"  And  when,  at  the  close  of  this 
carefully-worded  piece  of  furious  logic,  Car- 
michael  looked  round  and  saw  approval  on  the 
seven  faces,  as  if  their  position  had  been  finally 
stated,  his  patience  gave  way. 

"Have  you" — and  he  leaned  forward  and 
brought  his  hand  down  upon  the  table — "have 
you  any  common  reason  in  your  minds ;  I  do 
not  mean  the  pedantic  arguments  of  theology, 
but  the  common  sense  of  human  beings  ?  Have 
you  any  blood  in  your  hearts,  the  blood  of  men 
who  have  been  sons,  and  who  are  fathers,  the 
feelings  of  ordinary  humanity?  Will  you  say 
that  a  mother's  love  to  her  son,  lasting  through 
the  sacrifices  of  Hfe  to  the  tender  farewell  on 
her  deathbed  is  not  altogether  good?  That  a 
man  toiling  and  striving  to  build  a  home  for  his 
37 


St.  Jude*s 

wife  and  children  and  to  keep  them  in  peace  and 
plenty,  safe  from  the  storms  of  life,  is  not  ac- 
ceptable unto  God?  That  a  man  giving  his  life 
to  save  a  little  child  from  drowning,  or  to  protect 
his  country  from  her  enemies,  is  not  beautiful 
in  the  sight  of  heaven?  That  even  a  heretic, 
standing  by  what  he  believes  to  be  true,  and  los- 
ing all  his  earthly  goods  for  conscience's  sake, 
has  done  a  holy  thing — tell  me  that?"  And  Car- 
michael  stretched  out  his  hands  to  them  in  the 
fervor  of  his  youth. 

No  man  answered,  and  it  was  not  needful,  for 
the  minister's  human  emotion  had  beaten  upon 
their  iron  creed  like  spray  upon  the  high  sea- 
cliffs.  But  one  of  them  said,  "That  completes 
the  list,  downright  Pelagianism,"  and  he  added 
gloomily,  "I  doubt  Socianism  is  not  far  off." 

The  court  was  then  dissolved,  but  before  he 
left  the  room  like  a  criminal  sent  to  execution, 
a  sudden  thought  struck  Carmichael,  and  in  his 
turn  he  asked  a  question. 

"It  is  quite  plain  to  me,  brethren" — for  so  he 
called  them  in  Christian  courtesy,  although  it 
was  doubtful  if  they  would  have  so  called  him 
38 


A  Local  Inquisition 

— "that  you  have  suspected  me  of  unsoundness 
in  the  faith,  and  that  you  have  not  been  alto- 
gether unprepared  for  my  answers ;  I  want  to 
ask  you  something,  and  I  am  curious  to  hear 
your  answer.  There  are  many  names  attached 
to  the  call  given  to  me  by  the  congregation  of 
St.  Jude's,  and  I  do  not  know  them  all  as  yet, 
but  I  hope  soon  to  have  them  written  in  my 
heart.  The  people  who  signed  that  call  declared 
that  they  were  assured  by  good  information  of 
my  piety,  prudence  and  ministerial  qualifications, 
and  they  promised  me  all  dutiful  respect,  encour- 
agement, support  and  obedience  in  the  Lord.  I 
have  those  words  ever  in  my  memory,  for  they 
are  a  strength  to  me  as  I  undertake  my  high 
work.  May  I  ask,  are  your  names,  brethren, 
upon  that  call,  and  if  so,  why  did  you  sign  it?" 
As  he  was  speaking,  Carmichael  noticed  that 
the  composure  of  the  seven  was  shaken,  and 
that  a  look  of  uneasiness  and  even  of  confusion 
had  come  over  their  faces.  He  was  sure  that 
they  had  signed  and  he  also  guessed  that  they 
had  already  repented  the  deed.  It  seemed  to 
him  as  if  there  was  some  secret  to  be  told,  and 
39 


St.  Jude's 

that  they  were  challenging  one  another  to  tell  it. 
And  at  last,  under  the  weight  of  his  responsi- 
bility as  president  of  the  court,  MacCosh  made 
their  confession. 

"Ye  must  understand,  Mr.  Carmichael,  that 
when  your  name  was  put  before  the  congrega- 
tion we,  who  have  been  called  more  than  others 
to  discern  the  spirits,  had  no  sure  word  given 
us  either  for  or  against  you,  and  we  were  in 
perplexity  of  heart.  It  was  not  according  to 
our  conscience  to  sign  lightly  and  in  ignorance 
as  many  do,  and  we  might  not  forbear  signing 
unless  we  were  prepared  to  lay  our  protests 
with  reasons  upon  the  table  of  the  presbytery. 
We  gathered  together  in  this  room  and  wres- 
tled for  light,  and  it  seemed  to  come  to  us 
through  a  word  of  our  brother  Simeon  Mac- 
Quittrick,  and  I  will  ask  him  to  mention  the 
sign  that  we  judged  that  day  to  be  of  the  Lord, 
but  it  may  be  it  came  from  elsewhere." 

"That  very  morning,"  explained  Simeon,  with 

the  first  shade  of  diffidence  in  his  manner,  "I 

was  reading  in  my  chamber  the    Acts    of    the 

Apostles,  and  when  I  came  to  the  words  'send 

40 


A  Local  Inquisition 

men  to  Joppa,'  I  was  hindered  and  I  could  go 
no  further.  The  passage  was  laid  upon  my  soul 
and  I  was  convinced  that  it  was  the  message  of 
God,  but  concerning  whom  and  concerning  what 
I  knew  not.  But  it  was  ever  all  the  hours  of 
the  day,  'send  men  to  Joppa.' 

"That  very  afternoon  I  met  one  of  the  elders 
who  is  liberal  in  his  gifts  and  full  of  outward 
works,  but  I  judge  a  mere  Gallio,  and  he  asked 
me  whether  I  was  ready  to  sign  the  call.  I  an- 
swered that  I  was  waiting  for  the  sign,  and  I 
told  him  of  the  words  said  to  me  that  day.  'Well,' 
he  said  to  me  in  his  worldly  fashion,  'if  you 
will  not  call  a  man  unless  he  be  at  Joppa  you 
may  have  to  wait  some  time,  MacQuittrick ;  but, 
by  the  way,  I  hear  that  Mr.  Carmichael  is  stay- 
ing near  Edinburgh  just  now,  and  there  is  a 
Joppa  on  the  coast  next  to  Portobello.' 

"He  may  have  been  jesting,"  sadly  continued 
MacQuittrick,  "and  he  is  a  man  whose  ear  has 
never  been  opened,  but  the  Almighty  chooses 
whom  he  will  as  his  messengers,  and  spake  once 
by  Balaam's  ass,  so  I  mentioned  the  matter  to 
the  brethren.  And  when  we  considered  both  the 
41 


St.  Jude's 

word  of  Acts  and  the  saying  of  this  Gallio,  we 
accepted  it  as  a  sign.  So  it  came  to  pass  that 
we  all  signed  your  call.  But  it  pleases  God  to 
allow  even  the  elect  to  be  deceived;  behold  are 
there  not  false  prophets  and  lying  signs?  And 
it  may  be  ye  were  not  at  Joppa."  And  when  Car- 
michael  declared  with  joyful  emphasis  that  he 
had  never  been  at  Joppa  in  his  life,  MacCosh 
summed  up  the  moral  of  the  call  and  the  con- 
ference.    "It  was  a  sign,  but  it  was  from  Satan." 


4a 


H  SolMet  of  tbe  Xort) 


H  SolMer  of  tbe  Xor^ 

Every  animal  has  its  congenial  haunt,  into 
which  it  fits  by  its  very  color,  and  the  retired 
military  officer  is  as  much  out  of  place  in  a  stir- 
ring commercial  city  as  a  grouse  would  be  in 
a  public  park.  Those  veterans  congregate  by 
an  instinct  in  watering-places,  where  they  estab- 
lish clubs  into  which  no  tradesman  is  allowed 
to  enter  and  arrange  for  stores  where  they  can 
obtain  their  goods  at  economical  prices ;  they 
march  up  and  down  the  main  roads  as  if  they 
were  on  parade,  and  criticise  the  mismanage- 
ment of  the  army  with  strident  voices,  and  form 
a  society  of  their  own,  narrow  and  prejudiced, 
into  which  no  idea  ever  filters,  but  honorable 
and  clean-living,  in  which  no  base  act  would  be 
tolerated. 

Their  outlook  on  life  is  from  a  tent-door,  and 

absolutely  different  from  that  of  a  doctor  or  a 

merchant.     What  one  of  the  warriors  says  on 

any  subject,  political  or  social,  they  all  say,  just 

45 


St.  Jude's 

as  every  one  is  as  straight  as  a  rod,  has  close- 
cut  gray  hair,  clean-shaven  cheeks,  and  a  stiff, 
aggressive  mustache.  No  one  is  admitted  to 
their  set  unless  he  be  in  one  of  the  services,  and 
by  preference  the  army,  and  no  civilian  could 
endure  the  atmosphere.  There  is  only  one  di- 
vision in  the  class,  and  that  is  made  by  religion. 
As  the  church  is,  in  their  judgment,  a  part  of 
the  constitution,  like  the  throne  and  the  House 
of  Lords  and  the  magistracy,  they  will  not  en- 
dure a  word  against  Christianity.  They  were 
very  particular  in  their  day  about  church  parade, 
and  took  care  that  any  complaint  of  a  chaplain 
had  full  effect.  They  abominate  every  one  who 
criticises  the  Christian  faith,  and  are  not  only 
ready  to  call  him  an  infidel,  but  express  at  the 
same  time  their  idea  of  his  future  state.  So 
many  feel  that  at  this  point  they  are  entitled 
to  halt,  and  they  would  not  be  inclined  to  call 
themselves  religious.  They  are  very  much 
shocked,  indeed,  if  they  should  be  supposed  to 
cross  the  line,  and  to  usurp  the  position  of  chap- 
lains of  other  pious  people.  One  dear  old  colo- 
nel was  once  reading  the  service  of  the  Church 
46 


A  Soldier  of  the  Lord 

of  England  in  the  absence  of  the  chaplain,  and 
in  his  ignorance  gave  the  absolution.  His  adju- 
tant whispered  to  him  that  he  ought  not  to  have 
read  that  passage,  whereupon  the  colonel,  with 
great  presence  of  mind,  told  the  regiment  that 
he  had  made  a  mistake ;  then  shouted  in  his  best 
drill  voice,  "As  you  were."  He  was  much  con- 
gratulated at  the  mess  on  his  smart  retrieval  of 
a  difficult  position,  and  he  is  still  telling  the  story 
of  his  skilful  escape  from  an  unexpected  ambus- 
cade. 

A  certain  proportion  of  the  colonels  are  not 
formally,  but  sincerely  and  strenuously,  relig- 
ious, and  they  afford  a  unique  type  of  piety. 
They  have  been,  as  a  rule,  converted  by  a  ser- 
mon or  by  a  book  in  some  particular  way  which 
they  can  describe,  and  on  some  definite  date 
which  they  hold  in  a  retentive  memory.  With 
them  religion  is  no  decent  observance  or  vague 
opinion ;  it  is  a  pronounced  and  unchanging  con- 
viction, and  embraces  not  only  the  larger  mat- 
ters of  the  law,  but  also  its  jots  and  tittles.  With 
them  it  has  been  right  wheel  about,  and  they 
have  never  varied  in  their  steady  march  in  the 
47 


St.  Jude's 

new  direction.  Neither  on  the  camping-ground 
nor  in  the  mess  have  they  concealed  their  faith 
or  been  ashamed  of  their  colors.  They  have 
been  good  soldiers  of  their  country,  and  they 
are  good  soldiers  of  their  Lord,  bringing  into 
his  service  all  the  unswerving  loyalty  and  un- 
questioning obedience,  as  well  as  dauntless  cour- 
age, which  they  have  learned  in  the  other  army. 
If  they  are  Episcopalians,  then  they  are  generally 
low-churchmen,  and  are  fierce  against  the  slight- 
est concession  to  ritualism.  If  they  belong  to 
the  Scots  Kirk,  then  they  stand  fast  on  the  con- 
fession of  faith,  and  will  have  no  deahngs  with 
modern  thought.  Very  often  they  are  Plymouth 
Brethren,  and  then  they  will  refuse  to  hold  inter- 
course with  another  colonel  who  belongs  to 
some  other  and  less  orthodox  meeting  in  that 
remarkable  community. 

Whatever  they  be  or  whoever  they  are,  one 
can  depend  upon  the  colonels  to  be  thorough- 
going and  effective  members  of  their  church; 
and  St.  Jude's  congregation  had  a  legitimate 
pride  in  Lieutenant-Colonel  Roderick  MacBean, 
who  had,  for  family  reasons,  settled  in  their  city, 
48 


A  Soldier  of  the  Lord 

and  had  been  for  many  years  an  elder  in  the 
kirk.  No  one  could  say  that  he  had  been  a 
brilliant  soldier,  for  he  had  not  risen  to  the  rank 
of  general,  and  he  had  never  been  on  the  staff, 
but  every  one  knew  that  he  had  been  a  sound 
and  distinguished  officer,  who  had  done  hard  and 
gallant  work  on  the  Indian  frontier.  His  friends 
always  said  that  MacBean  ought  to  have  been 
made  a  Companion  of  the  Bath  for  the  masterly 
way  in  which  he  brought  a  raiding  Afghan  tribe 
to  their  senses.  He  obtained  what  is  perhaps 
better,  the  Victoria  Cross,  for  dashing  in  among 
the  enemy  and  rescuing  a  wounded  sergeant 
from  the  cruel  Afghan  knives ;  and  he  carried 
for  life  the  mark  of  this  encounter  in  a  cut  on 
his  upper  lip,  only  partially  concealed  by  his 
short  mustache. 

No  one  called  him  by  his  name,  and  some  of 
the  congregation  hardly  knew  what  it  was ;  both 
among  the  elders  and  among  the  people  he  was 
the  Colonel,  and  when  a  worthy  member  of  the 
church  who  kept  a  large  dry  goods  store  ob- 
tained the  same  rank  in  the  volunteer  force,  and 
some  one  complimented  him  by  his  title,  the  vol- 
49 


St.  Jude's 

unteer  entreated  that  this  should  never  be  done 
again,  for  it  were  to  bring  him  into  painful  com- 
parison with  our  one  and  only  Colonel.  A  tall, 
gaunt  man,  with  large  bones,  and  hardly  an 
ounce  of  superfluous  flesh,  his  face  bronzed  by 
long  Indian  service,  and  his  hair  passing  from 
iron  gray  to  white,  his  eye  keen  and  alert,  like 
one  who  has  long  been  watching  a  tricky  foe  or 
drilling  men  on  the  parade  ground,  dressed 
quietly  but  always  with  severe  taste,  he  was  the 
most  picturesque  figure  in  St.  Jude's,  as  he  stood 
in  the  singing  of  the  Psalms  at  the  end  of  his 
pew,  or  behind  the  plate  at  the  door,  for  all  the 
world  like  a  sentinel  on  guard,  looking  straight 
before  him,  and  taking  no  notice  of  what  the 
people  cast  into  the  treasury,  or  carrying  the 
vessels  of  the  Lord  in  stately  procession  during 
the  sacrament,  as  he  had  once  carried  the  colors 
of  his  regiment  when  he  was  a  young  subaltern. 
He  was  the  one  touch  of  romantic  color  in  a 
congregation  of  practical  and  enterprising  mer- 
chants— as  it  were,  a  red  coat  standing  out  from 
the  hodden-gray. 

His  wife  and  certain  traditions  of  his  family 
50 


A  Soldier  of  the  Lord 

had  prepossessed  Carmichael  in  favor  of  sol- 
diers, and  his  eye  had  already  detected  the  Colo- 
nel's erect  figure  in  the  kirk.  It  was  therefore 
with  eager  courtesy  that  he  went  forward  to 
meet  MacBean  w-hen,  one  morning,  he  came  into 
the  study  with  the  air  of  one  leading  a  battalion. 

"When  two  men  are  going  to  fight  a  cam- 
paign together,"  explained  the  Colonel,  "and  I 
hope  that  you  and  I,  if  the  Almighty  spare  us, 
will  be  fellow-soldiers  for  many  years,  it's  a  good 
thing  that  they  should  agree  about  the  line 
they're  going  to  take.  Of  course  you're  in  com- 
mand, and  I  am  only  a  regimental  officer ;  but  I 
always  found  it  useful,  when  we  were  starting 
out  on  an  expedition,  to  give  the  senior  officers 
an  idea  of  what  I  was  after.  From  what  I  have 
seen  and  heard,  I  rather  think  you  would  like 
to  take  your  fellow-officers  into  your  confidence. 
Eh,  what? 

"Quite  so,  sir,"  went  on  the  Colonel,  "just 
what  I  expected  from  your  face.  I  think  I  know 
a  man  when  I  see  him.  Well,  as  I  take  it,  the 
great  thing  is  to  stand  together  upon  the  truth, 
and  I  mean  the  practical  truth,  for  ourselves  as 


St.  Jude's 

a  nation.  If  we  know  what  we  are  in  the  provi- 
dence of  God,  and  what  part  we  have  to  fulfill 
in  his  purposes,  why,  then,  we  know  where  we 
are  and  what  we've  got  to  do ;  we  know  our 
marching  orders,  in  fact,  and  what  position  we're 
expected  to  take  from  the  enemy.  What  do 
you  say  to  that?" 

When  Carmichael  indicated  his  agreement, 
and  invited  the  Colonel  to  go  into  details,  Mac- 
Bean  proceeded  with  much  cheerfulness : 

"It  is  years  ago,  Mr.  Carmichael,  since  I  dis- 
covered that  the  Lord's  work  can  never  be  prop- 
erly carried  on  in  the  world,  or  the  human  race 
won  to  Christ  unless  Great  Britain — for  I  don't 
like  that  talk  of  England  as  if  Scotland  were 
only  a  conquered  province,  which,  thank  God,  it 
never  was,  and  never  shall  be — unless  Great 
Britain,  as  I  was  saying,  knows  her  own  history 
and  her  own  destiny.  Why,  as  long  as  I  thought 
that  there  was  no  difference  between  our  people 
and  the  German  people,  or  any  other  that  the 
Lord  has  been  pleased  to  have  mercy  upon,  and 
that  we  were  just  one  of  the  ordinary  Gentiles, 
I  had  no  idea  of  our  responsibility;  I  was  like  a 
52 


A  Soldier  of  the  Lord 

man  who  was  heir  to  an  estate,  and  had  never 
claimed  it;  you  follow  me,  sir?"  Carmichael 
began  to  suspect  many  things,  and  regarded  the 
Colonel  with  hopeful  delight. 

''It  was  an  Englishman,  and  a  very  good  fel- 
low— Lancelot  of  the  Irregular  Horse — who 
first  showed  me  the  truth  when  we  were  both 
invalided  to  the  hills  after  a  frontier  scrimmage. 
I'll  never  forget  the  day  when,  after  three  hours' 
Bible  reading,  he  proved  to  me  as  clear  as  a  pike- 
staff, and  I've  never  had  the  slightest  doubt 
since,  that  we  are  the  lost  ten  tribes."  Car- 
michael -understood  everything  then,  but  thei 
Colonel  mistook  the  expression  on  the  minister's 
ingenuous  countenance. 

"You  do  not  seem  to  be  quite  with  me,  eh? 
what?  surely  a  man  of  intelligence  like  you — if 
I  may  be  allowed  to  say  so — has  never  fallen 
into  that  other  descent  of  the  ten  tribes — the 
most  dangerous  error  and  childish  rubbish  that 
ever  entered  into  the  human  mind,  and  which 
has  no  support  whatever  from  the  inspired  writ- 
ings. I  never  met  one  sensible  man  except  Pon- 
sonby  of  the  Artillery,  who  was  as  sound  as  oak, 
53 


St.  Jude's 

and  died  like  a  good  soldier,  who  held  that  ab- 
surdity about  the  Afghans ;  for  it  is  stark  raging 
nonsense."  Then  Carmichael  remembered  that 
every  sect  has  its  heretical  counterpart,  and  that 
the  Anglo-Israelites  were  much  annoyed  by  cer- 
tain heretics  who,  in  the  perversity  of  their 
minds,  if  not  the  corruption  of  their  hearts,  held 
that  the  Afghans  were  the  descendants  of  the 
lost  ten  tribes.  And  the  minister  hastened  to 
assure  his  anxious  visitor  that  whatever  errors 
he  may  have  fallen  into  in  the  course  of  an  im- 
perfect life,  he  had  never  been  an  Afghan- 
Israelite. 

"Wouldn't  have  believed  it  if  a  man  had  told 
me."  And  the  Colonel  was  much  relieved. 
"Have  read  too  much,  and  got  too  clear  a  mind 
to  be  caught  in  that  trap.  Afghans,  indeed ! 
Mind  you,  Mr,  Carmichael,  and  just  between 
ourselves  there  is  a  distinct  touch  of  the  Jew 
about  the  rascals'  faces,  for  I  have  seen  plenty 
of  them  both  in  life  and  death.  But  that  is  all ; 
not  a  trace  of  the  Lord's  people  in  any  other 
shape  or  fashion,  you  may  take  my  word  for 
that,  and  I  have  been  watching,  and  fighting 
54 


A  Soldier  of  the  Lord 

them,  making  bargains  with  them,  and  hearing 
them  tell  lies,  for  more  than  half  a  lifetime.  Not 
that  they  aren't  good  fighting  men;  we  must 
give  the  devil  his  due,  and  the  Pathans  can  put 
up  just  about  as  good  a  skirmish  as  you  would 
wish  to  see,  quite  fit  to  be  called  a  battle."  And 
the  Colonel  seemed  much  pleased  with  some 
recollections. 

"But  the  ten  tribes,  I  never  heard  in  my  Hfe 
such  lunacy.  No,  no ;  I  was  sure  you  would  be 
sound  in  Anglo-Israelism,  Mr.  Carmichael."  And 
the  minister  had  not  the  heart  to  check  the  Colo- 
nel's enthusiasm,  or  to  explain  that  he  had  never 
heard  of  the  doctrine  of  Anglo-Israel  except  as 
an  amiable  eccentricity,  held  by  old  ladies  at 
watering-places,  and  Indian  civilians  with  a  sug- 
gestion of  sunstroke.  He  contented  himself  with 
modestly  asking  the  Colonel  to  explain  the  prac- 
tical good  of  this  faith. 

"Why,"  said  the  excited  veteran,  "it's  the 
same  as  a  man  coming  into  his  heritage ;  it  takes 
us  out  of  the  run  of  nations,  and  gives  us  the 
first  place  as  the  chosen  people,  to  whom  belong 
the  covenants  and  the  promises.  Bless  my  soul, 
55 


St.  Jude's 

sir,  we  were  in  the  ranks  before;  now  we  are 
commissioned  officers,  and  not  rankers,  mind 
you — mere  proselytes  taken  into  Israel  from 
other  nations,  but  the  true  Israel  itself.  It  makes 
me  twice  a  man  to  go  into  Westminster  Abbey 
and  see  the  Coronation  Stone,  and  to  know  that 
it  was  the  very  stone  on  which  Jacob  laid  his 
head  when  he  had  his  vision  and  saw  the  heavens 
opened. 

"When  I  saw  Her  Majesty  pass,  God  bless 
her!  the  first  time  I  came  home  from  India, 
after  I'd  received  the  truth  and  said  to  myself, 
'There  is  the  descendant  of  King  David  in  direct 
line,'  I  tell  you,  if  it  was  possible,  she  was  twice 
my  monarch.  What  is  a  Hanoverian,  what  is  a 
Stuart,  to  a  member  of  the  royal  house  of  Israel? 
When  a  man  knows  that  he  is  of  Israel,  and  a 
descendant  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  he  has 
a  right  to  lift  up  his  head,  for  salvation  is  of  the 
Jews,  to  him  first,  and  through  him  to  the 
world."  And  beneath  the  tan  the  Colonel's  face 
burned  with  pride.  Carmichael  knew  not  what 
to  say,  for,  although  he  remembered  one  delight- 
ful colonel  of  evangelistic  tendencies  who  used 
56 


A  Soldier  of  the  Lord 

to  visit  the  Caraegies,  this  was  practically  a  new 
study  in  religion. 

"But  that  is  not  really  what  I  came  to  speak 
about,  for  I  knew  that  you  and  I  would  join  our 
forces  over  this  mighty  truth.  I  have  something 
new  to  tell  you  Mr.  Carmichael,  and  something 
which  will  give  you  as  big  a  lift  as  it  gave  me." 

"Of  course,  the  great  matter  is  to  know  that 
we  are  the  ten  tribes,  but  I  often  said  to  Lance- 
lot that  I  wished  to  know  to  which  of  the  ten 
I  belonged,  Lancelot  used  always  to  say,  'That 
will  be  revealed  in  time ;  we  cannot  bear  all  the 
light  at  once.'  Well,  I've  hoped  and  prayed  for 
that  revelation,  and  I  received  it  yesterday. 
Packenham  used  to  be  in  the  Bombay  Fusileers, 
and  saw  a  lot  of  service.  He  wrote  an  article 
on  unfulfilled  prophecy,  and  is  very  strong  on 
Daniel.  Well,  Packenham  has  been  working  on 
this  thing  for  years,  and  now  he  has  written  a 
little  book  called  'The  Tribes  Identified.'  A 
copy  came  from  him  yesterday  morning,  and  I 
was  all  day  working  it  over,  and  before  evening 
I  was  quite  convinced  that  Packenham  had 
made  a  wonderful  discovery." 
57 


St.  Jude*s 

Carmichael  indicated  that  he  was  dying  to 
hear. 

"Of  course,  Mr.  Carmichael,  it  is  quite  obvious 
when  you  hear  it,  and  I  cannot  make  out  how  it 
has  not  been  found  out  before.  You  have  just 
to  read  the  description  of  the  tribes  in  the  49th 
chapter  of  Genesis,  and  you  can  identify  every 
tribe.  As  for  this  city,  why  it's  the  clearest 
word  I  ever  read,  and  yet,  until  good  old  Pack- 
enham  gave  me  the  scent,  I  never  saw  it.  I 
wonder  whether  you  could  guess  who  we  are? 
Well,  just  let  me  ask  you  a  question  or  two. 
Aren't  we  close  to  the  sea,  haven't  we  got  a  big 
harbor,  aren't  we  rich  in  ships,  doesn't  our  com- 
merce go  out  to  the  ends  of  the  world?  Eh! 
what,  have  you  taken  it  yet?  I  believe  you 
have,  but  you  just  want  me  to  read  the  passage. 
Here  it  is,"  and  the  Colonel  turned  up  his  pocket 
Bible,  and  gave  it  out  with  great  triumph : 
"Zebulun  shall  dwell  at  the  haven  of  the  sea ; 
and  he  shall  be  for  a  haven  of  ships,  and  his 
border  shall  be  upon  Sidon."  And  nothing 
could  exceed  the  satisfaction  of  the  Colonel. 
"Glasgow,  quite  clearly — eh,  what? 
58 


A  Soldier  of  the  Lord 

"You  are  rising  to  it,  I  see,"  and  the  veteran 
surveyed  the  silent  minister  with  huge  delight. 
"We  know  our  tribe  now;  we  are  the  men  of 
Zebulun,  and  every  promise  that  was  ever  made 
to  Zebulun  belongs  to  us.  We  have  a  new 
ground  for  prayer  now,  and  you  have  a  fine  text 
for  next  Sunday  morning.  Unless  I  am  mis- 
taken, this  discovery  should  waken  up  St.  Jude's, 
and  if  we  do  our  duty,  the  whole  city  should 
share  the  blessing." 

The  good  man  was  much  grieved  when  his 
fellow  elders  received  the  communication  on 
Zebulun  in  a  suggestive  silence,  and  politely  but 
firmly  refused  to  spread  the  truth  as  they  vis- 
ited their  districts.  To  tell  the  truth,  the  breth- 
ren gradually  became  alarmed  when  they  saw  the 
Colonel  making  for  Packenham's  historical  dis- 
covery, and  Carmichael  had  to  intervene  at  the 
merest  hint  of  Zebulun.  The  Colonel  was  seri-j 
ously  hurt  when  he  was  not  allowed  to  address' 
the  prayer-meeting  upon  this  vital  subject,  and 
to  read  a  paper  which  he  had  laboriously  pre- 
pared under  the  pleasing  title,  "The  Localization 
of  the  Ten  Tribes,  the  Latest  Revelation  of 
59 


St.  Judc's 

Scriptural  Truth."  As  Carmichael  would  not 
have  offended  this  simple  heart  on  any  consider- 
ation, he  was  immensely  relieved  to  find  that  the 
Colonel  had,  after  a  time,  lost  interest  in  the 
tribe  of  Zebulun,  and  had  embarked  on  a  new 
quest.  He  was  very  mysterious,  and  only 
dropped  hints ;  but  the  minister  was  allowed  to 
know  that,  however  important  was  the  achieve- 
ment of  Major  Packenham,  Colonel  MacBean 
had  far  exceeded  him. 

"It  was  in  the  Revelation,  and  one  morning 
in  my  daily  reading,  that  I  got  the  first  sugges- 
tion, and  I  will  just  tell  you,  sir,  it  was  through 
a  number.  Where  would  we  be  without  the 
numbers  in  that  wonderful  Book?  Since  then 
I  have  been  working,  I  may  say,  night  and  day, 
and  the  truth  is  opening  up  in  every  book  of 
the  Bible,  and  not  in  the  Bible  only,  but  also  in 
human  history  from  beginning  to  end.  Why,  the 
daily  newspapers  are  shedding  light.  I've  spent 
three  afternoons  examining  a  file  of  the  Times. 
When  I  mention  the  battle  of  Waterloo  and 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  I  suspect  you  know  my 
country.  But  not  another  word  to-day.  One 
60 


A  Soldier  of  the  Lord 

has  to  see  that  the  evidence  is  conclusive  before 
he  says  a  word." 

"I've  no  doubt,  however,  sir,"  said  the  Colo- 
nel before  leaving  that  morning,  "that  I  shall 
soon  have  concluded  my  labor  of  love.  I've 
never  enjoyed  anything  more,  and  I  hope  on 
this  occasion  to  be  able  to  show  this  wonder- 
ful discovery,  not  merely  to  the  mind,  but  also  to 
the  eye — eh,  what?  to  the  eye,  sir.  I  used  to 
be  pretty  good  at  maps,  and  although  I  haven't 
done  anything  for  some  years  in  that  depart- 
ment, I  rather  think  my  hand  will  not  have  lost 
its  cunning."  And  on  this  occasion  the  min- 
ister could  only  faintly  imagine  what  astounding 
treasure  the  veteran  had  found  in  his  Bible. 

The  Colonel  did  not  go  much  into  society, 
partly  because  he  was  not  at  home  with  civilians, 
partly  because  he  saved  his  time  for  esoteric 
study  in  Holy  Scripture ;  but  he  clutched  greed- 
ily at  an  invitation  to  dinner  at  one  of  the  elders, 
which  was  really  intended  to  be  a  social  function 
for  the  Session.  He  inquired  anxiously  some 
days  before  whether  Carmichael  was  certain  to 
be  there,  and  expressed  his  hope  that  he  would 
6i 


St.  Jude's 

meet  most  of  the  elders.  The  impression  grew 
in  Carmichael's  mind  that  the  Colonel  was  to 
utilize  the  evening,  and  redeem  it  from  any  ten- 
dency to  frivolity  by  making  his  brethren  par- 
takers of  the  last  result  of  Bible  study.  But 
even  Carmichael  was  astonished  when  MacBean 
drove  up  to  the  door  with  two  huge  maps  eight 
feet  long  upon  the  roof  of  the  cab,  and  the  cab- 
man's face  between  their  projecting  ends  was 
most  vivacious.  He  pointed  gayly  with  his 
thumb  over  his  shoulder  to  the  Colonel  within, 
and  indicated  that  there  were  great  sources  of 
amusement  in  his  fare;  and  when  the  Colonel, 
assisted  by  Carmichael,  worked  this  remarkable 
luggage  into  the  hall,  the  cabman  was  firmly  con- 
vinced that  time  would  fly  that  evening. 

While  the  guests  were  assembling  in  the  draw- 
ing-room the  veteran,  with  much  cunning  and 
the  bribed  assistance  of  a  waiter,  had  fastened 
his  maps  on  the  dining-room  wall,  but  had 
adroitly  covered  them  with  sheets,  so  that  no 
one  knew  what  was  underneath.  The  conver- 
sation during  the  feast  was  a  little  distracted  by 
the  mystery  on  the  walls,  and  the  stimulating 
62 


A  Soldier  of  the  Lord 

allusions  of  the  Colonel,  who  was  in  great  spir- 
its, and  gave  it  to  be  understood  that  if  they 
had  not  risen  to  Zebulun,  they  would  this  even- 
ing be  absolutely  captivated.  When  the  hostess 
left  the  room,  curiosity  had  risen  as  near  fever 
height  as  it  ever  could  with  solid  merchants  and 
douce  Scots  elders.  So  the  clerk  of  the  Session 
suggested  that  the  veil  should  be  removed  and 
the  company  be  taken  into  the  secret.  His 
brethren  were  not  unaccustomed  to  the  Colo- 
nel's Scriptural  eccentricities,  but  there  was  a 
general  tribute  of  quite  unaffected  admiration 
for  his  originality  when  they  saw  the  maps  un- 
veiled. It  was  felt  then,  and  freely  expressed 
afterwards,  that  the  Colonel  had  excelled  even 
himself,  and  had  reached  high-water  mark  in 
his  line  of  Bible  investigation.  For  the  first 
map  contained  what  might  be  called  a  detailed 
religious  history  of  the  human  race,  from  Adam 
and  Eve,  whose  likenesses  were  inserted  at  the 
top,  on  to  the  Franco-Prussian  War,  with  a 
lifelike  portrait  of  the  Emperor  William,  and  the 
map  was  black  with  lines  of  connection,  rich  in 
texts  from  the  prophets,  and  here  and  there 
63 


St.  Jude's 

illuminated  by  thumb-nail  sketches  of  tabernacles 
and  battlefields. 

If  this  map  reduced  the  brethren  to  a  reverent 
silence  as  the  Colonel  rapidly  traced  the  purpose 
of  Providence  through  every  kind  of  circum- 
stance, and  found  its  instruments  in  every  kind 
of  man,  the  second  map  plunged  them  into  abso- 
lute despair.  For  it  was  the  plan  of  the  future, 
and  anticipated  the  story  of  the  human  race 
through  all  the  changes  to  come  on  to  the  battle 
of  Armageddon.  The  ramifications  v^^ere  even 
more  intricate  than  in  the  other  map,  and  the 
texts  ten  times  more  ingenious,  v^^hile  the  Pope 
figured  from  time  to  time,  and  the  likenesses  of 
certain  of  the  Napoleon  family,  who  were  to 
command  army  corps  at  the  decisive  battle  which 
would  conclude  the  era,  left  nothing  to  be  de- 
sired. 

If  the  more  quick-witted  of  his  brethren  were 
able  to  keep  this  daring  explorer  within  sight 
during  his  resume  of  the  past,  no  one  pretended 
to  follow  him  in  his  lightning  progress  through 
the  future.  Everyone,  however,  admired  his 
vivid  description  of  the  great  battle,  in  which 
64 


A  Soldier  of  the  Lord 

his  military  knowledge  served  him  bravely,  and 
when  he  ceased — having  given  the  date  with  the 
utmost  confidence  and  exactness — there  might 
have  been  some  little  hesitation  about  his  pro- 
phetic facts,  but  there  was  a  general  feeling  of 
pride  that  a  man  of  such  brilliant  imagination 
and  superhuman  ingenuity  should  be  an  office- 
bearer in  St.  Jude's  Church.  The  Colonel  still 
carries  his  maps  with  him,  especially  when  he 
goes  to  visit  his  former  brothers-in-arms  and 
present  colleagues  in  Bible  study,  and,  from  what 
he  told  Carmichael,  the  eflfect  produced  on  a 
little  gathering  at  Major  Packenham's  was  quite 
monumental. 

Rumors  reached  his  brethren  of  visits  to  re- 
ligious conferences  up  and  down  the  country, 
where  he  was  heard  greedily  on  account  of  the 
freshness  of  his  views,  and  the  unction  of  his 
spirit,  and  religious  periodicals  chronicled  a  de- 
fense of  verbal  inspiration  by  our  Colonel  which 
is  quoted  to  this  day. 

"If  any  one  here  has  fallen  into  the  snare  of 
the  Devil,  and  has  lost  his  belief  in  the  full  and 
perfect  inspiration  of  the  Bible,"  so  the  Colonel 
65 


St.  Jude*s 

was  reported  to  have  said,  let  him  turn  to  the 
vision  of  Isaiah,  and  he  -will  get  his  feet  again 
upon  the  rock.  What  happened  to  the  prophet  ? 
One  of  the  seraphim,  laid  a  live  coal  upon  his 
mouth,  and,  mark  you,  just  to  show  how  exact 
Scripture  is,  touched  Isaiah's  lips.  Not  one  lip, 
you  observe,  but  lips,  both  lips.  Well,  friends, 
what  followed?  Of  course  his  lips  were  burned 
away,  and  after  that  he  had  no  lips ;  but  you  say 
to  me,  was  he  not  a  prophet,  and  did  he  not 
speak,  and  how  can  a  man  speak  if  he  has  no 
lips?  Quite  right  to  ask  the  question;  that 
brings  you  to  the  very  depth  of  the  matter,  for 
the  Scriptures  are  a  great  deep.  He  could  not 
speak  after  his  lips  were  taken  away,  and  so  the 
Lord  spoke  through  him  as  through  a  trumpet. 
Will  any  man  after  that  say  that  the  writers  of 
the  Bible  were  not  inspired?"  The  Colonel  was 
very  modest  over  this  vindication,  but  he  did 
feel  that  he  had  been  the  means  of  safeguarding 
truth  against  the  attacks  of  the  enemy. 

It  may  be  frankly  confessed  that  there  were 
times  when  his  brethren  were  apt  to  smile  at  the 
veteran,  and  that  Carmichael  was  not  able — 
66 


A  Soldier  of  the  Lord 

simply  through  his  youthfulness,  the  Colonel 
believed — to  accept  the  more  recondite  truths 
which  the  good  man  offered ;  but  every  one 
loved  him,  and  even  apart  from  his  career  and 
the  cut  on  his  lip,  they  knew  that  he  was  a  man, 
and  also  a  gentleman.  While  he  was  fiercely  and 
unflinchingly  orthodox,  and  was  never  weary  of 
denouncing  rationaHsm  and  Romanism,  and 
speaking  of  their  defenders  as  if  they  were 
Afghan  tribes,  yet  he  intensely  loathed  every 
form  of  persecution  for  religion's  sake,  and 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  ignoble  methods. 
When  Simeon  MacQuittrick  came  before  the 
elders,  and  complained  to  them  of  Cannichael's 
unsound  teaching  on  the  fatherhood  of  God,  and 
proposed  to  substantiate  his  charges,  not  from 
what  the  minister  had  said  in  public,  but  from 
what  Carmichael  had  said  to  AlacQuittrick  in 
his  own  study,  the  Colonel  grew  restless,  and  as 
soon  as  Simeon  had  sat  down,  he  sprang  to 
his  feet. 

"Do  I  understand  that  Mr.  MacQuittrick  pur- 
poses to  avail  himself  of  a  private  conversation 
for  the  purposes  of  a  public  prosecution?       I 
67 


St.  Jude's 

earnestly  hope  that  I  have  misunderstood  this 
gentleman's  intention,  and  if  I  have  I  will  in- 
stantly apologize  to  him  for  such  an  unworthy 
suggestion." 

On  learning  that  that  was  exactly  what  Simeon 
intended  to  do,  and  that  it  was  what  was  always 
done  in  such  cases,  and  that  it  was  something 
MacQuittrick  thought  ought  to  be  done,  and 
that,  in  short,  everything  was  lawful  in  the  serv- 
ice of  the  faith,  the  Colonel  turned  purple  with 
indignation,  and  glared  on  the  miserable  man 
as  if  he  had  been  an  Afghan  spy  caught  in  the 
act  of  assassination. 

"We  ought  to  love  the  truth !"  thundered  the 
Colonel,  and  to  this  day  Carmichael  hears  the 
knightly  accent  in  the  gallant  veteran's  voice : 
"we  ought  to  study  the  truth,  we  ought  to  defend 
the  truth,  if  need  be  we  ought  to  die  for  the 
truth,  but  as  God  made  us,  and  our  Lord  re- 
deemed us,  we  ought  to  live  and  die  like  gentle- 
men of  Christ.'* 


68 


Bn  HrrcGular  Cbriettan 


Hn  Irregular  Cbristian 

By  the  sovereign  will  of  the  seat-letting  com- 
mittee, which  did  as  it  pleased  with  every  person 
in  St.  Jude's  Church,  this  young  man  was  planted, 
a  solitary  male,  in  a  pew  of  old  maiden  ladies. 
He  came  by  evident  arrangement  late,  when  the 
good  women  had  settled  themselves,  and  after 
nodding  cheerfully  to  them,  and  receiving  in  re- 
turn a  subdued  but  gracious  salutation,  he  set 
himself  down  with  an  air  of  confidence  at  the 
end  of  the  pew.  Carmichael's  range  of  vision 
was  not  far,  and  not  conspicuously  accurate,  but 
he  had  no  doubt  whatever  regarding  that  seat- 
holder.  From  the  crown  of  his  head  to  the  sole 
of  his  foot,  by  his  smart  dress,  his  alert  expres- 
sion, his  keen  attention,  any  one  could  identify 
him  as  a  business  man,  and  one  who  was  not 
going  to  be  left  in  the  race.  If  he  were  a  clerk, 
he  would  be  a  manager;  very  likely  he  was 
already  a  junior  partner.  He  gave  close  atten- 
tion to  whatever  was  said,  but  one  knew  that  he 
71 


St.  Jude's 

would  reserve  his  judgment,  and  that  he  would 
not  be  taking  any  twaddle.  If  occasionally  he 
withdrew  his  mind,  and  occupied  himself  with  a 
private  problem,  it  was  because  the  minister  had 
become  technical,  and  was  speaking  of  things 
beyond  his  province.  Carmichael  got  into  the 
habit,  after  a  month  or  two,  of  addressing  pas- 
sages to  him  personally,  and  wondered  whether 
he  had  been  convinced  by  the  argument,  and 
whether  he  would  yield  to  the  appeal.  His  face 
never  gave  any  sign,  and  a  strong  curiosity  took 
hold  of  the  minister's  mind  to  know  where  that 
hearer  was  and  what  he  thought.  Once  a  week 
the  minister  invited  young  men  who  lived  in 
rooms  to  come  to  his  house  and  spend  the  even- 
ing, and  he  used  to  look  expectantly  as  each 
man  came,  but  this  face  never  appeared.  He 
concluded  at  last  that  this  was  not  the  kind  to 
come  with  young  lads  from  the  country,  or  with 
Sunday-school  teachers.  So  he  wrote  a  letter 
inviting  him  to  spend  an  hour  in  the  study,  and 
received  a  short  but  perfectly  courteous  answer 
of  acceptance. 

Carmichael's   distant  impression  of  Sturrock 
72 


An  Irregular  Christian 

was  confirmed  when  he  entered  the  room,  and 
immensely  deepened  before  he  left  it.  His  vis- 
itor was  not  forward  nor  conceited,  but  he  was 
distinctly  self-respecting  and  absolutely  self- 
reliant;  he  was  not  garrulous  in  speech  nor 
opinionative,  but  he  had  clear-cut  ideas  and  an 
incisive,  laconic  style.  Small  talk  he  would 
regard  as  a  waste  of  time,  and  no  one  except  a 
fool  would  offer  him  conventional  religious  re- 
marks. If  you  have  anything  to  say  worth  hear- 
ing, let  me  have  it;  if  there  is  any  information 
I  can  give  you,  tell  me  what  it  is,  was  the  sug- 
gestion of  his  manner,  and  Carmichael  hastened 
to  explain  that  as  minister  he  wished  to  know 
his  congregation,  and  therefore  he  had  taken  the 
liberty  of  asking  for  this  interview.  As  Sturrock 
simply  bowed  and  waited  for  Carmichael  to  give 
the  lead,  there  remained  nothing  for  it  but  an 
inquiry  about  the  state  of  business.  Sturrock, 
who  had  his  own  ideas  of  the  ignorance  and 
futility  of  the  clerical  mind,  glanced  doubtfully 
at  his  host,  but  when  he  was  convinced  that  Car- 
michael was  in  earnest,  desiring  to  know  about 
every  province  of  life,  and  that  amid  a  multi- 
73 


St.  Jude*s; 


tude  of  faults  he  was  not  an  affected  humbug, 
the  visitor  spoke  clearly  and  to  the  point. 
Within  ten  minutes  Carmichael  had  learned  more 
about  the  iron  trade  on  all  its  sides  and  in  all  its 
ways  than  he  had  ever  gathered  from  every  kind 
of  source  all  his  life.  Before  Sturrock  left,  Car- 
michael paid  him  an  honest  tribute  of  admira- 
tion, and  recorded  his  conviction  that  what  Stur- 
rock did  not  know  about  iron,  at  least  as  an  arti- 
cle of  merchandise,  must  be  relegated  to  the 
province  of  nonsense. 

"Well,"  said  Sturrock  with  perfect  modesty, 
"I  know  as  much  about  iron  as  most  men  of  my 
age,  but  of  course  I  take  no  credit.  Iron  is  my 
business,  and  by  iron  I  am  going  to  succeed.  The 
way  I  look  at  it  is  this :  if  a  man  is  to  do  any- 
thing big,  he  must  not  spread  himself  over  a  lot 
of  departments  and  interests ;  he  must  concen- 
trate and  do  one  thing.  I  read  iron,  I  think 
about  iron,  I  deal  in  iron,  I  dream  about  iron." 
And  as  Sturrock  proclaimed  his  mission,  Car- 
michael began  to  regard  him  with  a  respect 
which  is  due  to  a  man  who  has  fixed  upon  the 
prize  of  life  and  means  to  have  it,  and  it  seemed 
74 


An  Irregular  Christian 

to  him  as  if  the  iron  in  which  he  worked  had 
passed  into  his  blood. 

"I  wish  every  man  was  as  keen  about  his  Hfe- 
work,"  said  the  minister,  ''You  fairly  brace  a 
fellow  up  by  your  talk.  But  I  say,  have  you  not 
got  any  relief  from  iron  or  any  recreation? 
What  about  your  by-products?  Do  you  go  in 
for  books,  or  are  you  a  sportsman?  One  can't 
live  on  iron,  can  one?" 

"No,  I  grant  that,  and  I  used  to  play  football 
in  a  Rugger  team,  but  I  gave  that  up  two  years 
ago,  as  I  got  rather  badly  hurt,  and  that  inter- 
fered with  business.  My  side-show  is  music.  I 
would  rather  hear  a  first-class  singer  than  have 
any  other  pleasure  in  life.  My  luxury  is  a  con- 
cert, and  I  am  going  to  keep  up  my  musical  taste 
for  the  future.  No  man  can  work  forever  at  my 
rate,  and  I  have  determined  to  make  my  pile 
before  I  am  fifty.  Next  year  I  expect  to  get  a 
partnership,  and  after  that  do  not  think  I  shall 
ever  look  back.  When  a  man  retires,  he  must 
have  something  to  do ;  then  I  shall  go  in  for 
music,  just  for  my  pleasure, — music  and  a  gar- 
den in  the  country."  As  Sturrock  spoke  of  his 
75 


St.  Jude's 

final  ideal,  the  finest  of  the  arts  and  the  sweetest 
of  places,  his  face  gentle,  Carmichael  realized 
that  the  man  was  not  all  iron. 

That  evening  he  did  not  think  it  wise  to 
speak  to  his  visitor  about  religion,  for  he  was 
not  a  man  whose  confidence  could  be  forced ;  but 
after  several  visits,  during  which  Carmichael 
learned  to  respect  the  simplicity  and  sincerity  of 
the  man,  he  broached  the  chief  subject  of  hu- 
man life.  And  then  Sturrock  stated  his  posi- 
tion, and,  as  usual,  he  had  made  up  his  mind. 

"I  am  not  an  infidel,  and  I  hold  that  no  man 
knows  enough,  or  can  ever  know  enough,  to 
deny  that  there  is  a  God.  On  the  contrary,  I 
believe  that  a  God  is  the  best  working  explana- 
tion of  this  universe,  which  is  a  very  complicated 
aflfair,  but,  on  the  whole,  must  be  intelligent 
and  moral.  I  am  certain,  so  far  as  I  can  gather, 
— for  I  have  been  too  busy  with  iron  to  read 
much, — that  Jesus  is  the  most  reasonable  relig- 
ious preacher,  and  the  most  perfect  man  in 
human  history.  When  I  was  young  my  mother 
taught  me  the  Bible,  and  it  makes  me  mad  to 
hear  some  glorious  fool  attacking  the  Book.  I 
76 


An  Irregular  Christian 

have  promised  my  mother  to  go  to  church  once 
a  day,  and  I  would  like  to  say  that  I  feel  better 
when  I  go  to  my  rooms, — I  mean  more  reverent 
and  more  kindly,  as  well  as  more  determined 
to  do  what  is  right;  but  I  want  to  say  quite 
straightly  that  I  am  not  a  Christian,  and  that  I 
do  not  see  my  way  to  become  one."  And  when 
Carmichael  thanked  him  for  this  confidence  and 
asked  him  if  he  would  go  a  little  further  and 
give  his  reasons,  he  responded  with  perfect 
frankness. 

"Upon  the  whole,  I  have  two  reasons.  One  is 
Christianity,  especially  as  it  is  stated  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount ;  that  is  a  passage  which 
I  often  read,  and  it  seems  to  me  simply  magnifi- 
cent, but  it  is  impossible,  no  one  could  live  up 
to  that  ideal,  and  it  is  better  not  to  attempt 
what  you  can't  do,  or  to  pretend  to  be  what 
you  are  not.  So  I  admire,  but  I  do  not  profess. 
Attending  church,  so  long  as  you  are  not  a 
communicant,  I  do  not  think  commits  me,  but 
I  have  determined  never  to  take  the  sacrament." 
And  then  Carmichael  asked  for  his  other  rea- 
son, and  Sturrock  was  again  quite  downright. 
77 


St.  Jude's 

"It  is  Christians;  if  you  knew  the  kind  of 
men  in  our  business,  and  in  the  other  markets 
who  are  elders  in  the  kirk,  and  address  meetings 
and  generally  pose  as  representatives  of  Chris- 
tianity, you  would  understand  why  many  a  plain 
man  who  tries  to  do  his  work  decently  and  does 
not  play  the  fool  is  sick  of  religion.  What  can 
be  more  disgusting  and  destructive  of  morals 
than  a  man  prating  about  the  atonement  and 
conversion,  while  you  can't  depend  upon  his 
word  in  a  bargain,  and  in  his  last  bankruptcy 
he  paid  five  shillings  and  sixpence  in  the  pound. 
Of  course  I  know  that  there  are  many  perfectly 
honorable  Christians,  but  we  have  got  too  many 
of  the  other  sort,  therefore  I  prefer  to  stand 
outside."  And,  although  Carmichael  plied  him 
then  and  afterward  with  many  arguments,  he 
could  not  shift  Sturrock  from  his  position. 

It  was  only  a  week  after  this  conversation 
that  Carmichael  was  summoned  in  hot  haste  to 
Sturrock's  rooms,  and  found  him  dangerously 
ill.  Within  forty-eight  hours  his  strength  had 
departed,  and  one  looking  on  his  face  could  not 
rid  himself  of  the  fear  that  this  man,  so  charged 
78 


An  Irregular  Christian 

with  life  in  mind  and  body,  was  going  to  be  cut 
off  in  his  strength.  But  he  was  as  clear  and 
composed  as  usual,  and  did  not  whimper  about 
this  sudden  disaster. 

"You  did  not  expect  to  find  me  on  my  back, 
Mr.  Carmichael,  next  time  you  saw  me,"  and 
he  smiled  cheerfully,  as  one  accepting  the  haz- 
ards of  life.  "Two  days  ago  I  was  a  sound  man, 
now  I  am  as  weak  as  a  cat.  Medicine  men,  the 
world  over,  make  a  great  mystery  of  their  work, 
and,  although  my  doctor  is  a  very  decent,  as 
well  as  clever  fellow,  I  can't  dig  the  truth  out 
of  him ;  I  know  what  is  wrong  with  me,  but 
I  can't  find  out  whether  I  am  going  to  pull 
through ;  on  the  whole  I  think  the  chances  are 
against  me,  and  that  I  shall  peg  out.  So  I 
thought  you  wouldn't  mind  me  troubling  you  to 
look  in  for  five  minutes,  as  there  are  one  or  two 
things  I  should  like  to  speak  to  you  about.  Of 
course  if  I  live,  all  right,  but  I  take  no  risks." 

Carmichael,  who  was  a  little  shaken  to  see 
the  change,  began  to  express  his  sympathy,  and 
his  hopes  for  a  good  issue,  but  Sturrock  at 
once  interrupted  him. 

79 


St.  Jude's 

"Thanks  very  much,  I  knew  you  would  be 
rather  hit  when  you  saw  me  down,  and  I  don't 
mind  confessing-  that  I  had  hoped  we  should 
have  been  good  friends  for  many  years;  you 
and  I  may  not  think  quite  ahke  on  everything, 
which  after  all  one  couldn't  expect,  but  you  are 
the  kind  of  parson  I  like  and  have  been  looking 
for.  But  if  it's  all  the  same  to  you  we  won't 
speak  about  my  illness;  medical  details  are 
rather  bad  form.  As  regards  death,  that  of 
course  is  one  of  the  incidents  in  a  man's  life,  a 
very  big  one,  no  doubt,  but  sooner  or  later  in- 
evitable ;  if  it  comes  to  me  to-morrow  it  will  be 
sooner  rather  than  later,  that  is  all  the  differ- 
ence. If  a  soldier  falls,  and  some  of  our  people 
have  been  killed  in  battle  quite  as  young,  nobody 
makes  a  moan  about  it.  When  my  uncle  was 
mortally  wounded  on  the  slope  of  Alma  he  said 
to  his  men,  'On  you  go,  lads,  I'm  all  right;'  an 
hour  after  that  they  found  him  dead  on  the 
field.  Why  should  civilians  take  themselves  so 
seriously,  and  make  such  a  drama  of  dying?  I 
call  it  sheer  want  of  pluck,  and  a  lot  of  self- 
conceit. 

86 


An  Irregular  Christian 

"My  slight  affairs  are  all  arranged,  and  I'm 
not  going  to  trouble  you  about  business,  for 
that  is  out  of  your  beat,  but  if  it  won't  bother 
you,  especially  as  I  don't  feel  equal  to  writing,  I 
would  be  awfully  obliged  if  you  would  give  a 
message  to  the  one  person  I  love  dearly,  and 
whom  I  may  say,  without  cant,  I  love  with  all 
my  heart.  No,"  he  said  with  a  smile,  "it's  not 
what  you  imagine ;  I've  been  too  busy  a  man  for 
that.  I  never  told  you  about  her,  but  you  know 
my  mother  is  living,  and,  while  every  man  thinks 
his  to  be  the  best,  or  ought  to,  I  tell  you  mine, 
as  children  say,  is  the  very  bcstest;  she  is  the 
truest,  bravest,  faithfulest,  tenderest  woman  I 
ever  came  across,  or  ever  expect  to  see.  My 
worthy  landlady  wanted  to  send  for  her  yester- 
day, but  I  would  not  allow  her,  for  I  am  deter- 
mined she  shall  not  come  until  the  issue  is  set- 
tled. If  I  am  going  to  die  I  do  not  want  her  to 
see  th<i  end ;  it  would  be  better  for  her  to  re- 
member me  as  I  was  in  life;  of  course,  if  it  be 
the  other  way,  then  she  will  simply  love  to  come 
up  and  nurse  me;  she  will  be  great  at  making 
beef  tea,  and  putting  eau  de  Cologne  on  my 
8i 


St.  Jude's 

forehead,  and  generally  treating  me,  dear  kind 
soul,  as  if  I  were  a  small  boy  again.  But,  you 
understand,  she's  to  hear  nothing  till  to-morrow. 

"If  I  am  not  here,"  said  Sturrock,  after  a 
■pause,  "it  would  be  a  great  kindness  to  go  down 
to  our  little  village  and  tell  her  what  has  hap- 
pened. It's  a  horrid  thing  to  ask  of  you,  but  I 
would  rather  you  did  it  than  any  other  man; 
you  will  tell  her  why  she  was  not  sent  for,  and 
that  it  was  not  because  I  loved  her  less,  but," 
and  this  was  the  only  time  his  voice  weakened, 
"but  because  I  loved  her  more.  My  life  has 
been  rather  one  of  pushing  and  striving,  and  I 
dare  say  it  has  been  selfish,  but  I  have  tried  to 
do  the  best  for  her.  That  really  Is  all  I  have  to 
say,  and  I  thank  you  in  advance." 

"You  may  depend  upon  me,  Sturrock,"  said 
Carmichael,  deeply  moved,  for  he  was  thinking 
of  his  own  mother's  death ;  "I  pray  God  I  may 
not  need  to  make  that  journey,  but  if  I  have — 
well,  I'm  a  widow's  son."  And  then,  after  a 
short  silence,  during  which  Carmichael  walked 
to  the  window  and  back,  he  sat  down  by  the 
bedside,  and  at  last  spoke. 
82 


An  Irregular  Christian 

"You  said  a  minute  ago  that  you  rather  hked 
me,  and  I  have  been — drawn  to  you ;  we  are 
friends,  and,  although  it's  rather  hard  to  speak 
about  some  things,  and  I'm  not  here  as  a  min- 
ister, I  can't  bid  you  good-bye  in  silence.  You 
say  that  you  have  settled  your  business  affairs ; 
have  you  settled  your  spiritual  affairs?  You 
know  what  I  mean ;  I  wish  I  had  better  words, 
but  if  you  are  to  make  the  great  journey,  have 
you  hope?  Forgive  me  if  I  intrude  upon  your 
soul,  but  it  is  because  I  am  your  friend." 

"I  perfectly  understand,"  said  the  sick  man, 
slowly,  "and  I  suppose  you  could  not  do  other- 
wise ;  pardon  me,  that  is  not  very  gracious ;  I 
accept  your  question  as  an  act  of  friendship.  I 
will  tell  you  how  I  stand,  and  then  we  need  not 
speak  of  this  again,  even  if  I  see  you.  When  I 
told  you  that  I  was  not  a  Christian  I  knew  the 
risk  that  I  was  taking,  for  I  have  not  been  a 
skeptic.  I  have  always  believed  that  if  a  man 
accepted  the  conditions  of  Jesus,  and  took  up 
his  cross — which  I  think  is  a  splendid  description 
of  the  Christian — he  would  receive  a  great  re- 
ward in  spiritual  things,  both  in  this  world  and 
83 


St.  Jude's 

in  that  which  is  to  come,  for  there  must  be  a 
glorious  future  before  the  soul.  I  counted  the 
cost,  and  looked  the  situation  round,  and  I  was 
not  prepared  to — what  shall  I  say? — enlist 
under  the  army  regulations.  I  chose  the  other 
side — by  that  I  mean  I  determined  to  make  the 
most  of  this  present  world,  and  if  I  live,  which 
is  rather  more  than  doubtful,  I  should  receive 
its  reward, — work,  I  mean,  success,  riches, 
power,  art,  and  such  like.  As  is  likely,  I  shall 
get  nothing,  and  my  speculation  will  then  have 
been  a  mistake.  I  have  not  had  time  to  win  this 
world,  and  I  shall  have  lost  the  other  world, 
for,  whatever  it  be,  and  I  have  never  supposed 
it  was  going  to  be  a  church  where  the  people 
were  singing  psalms  forever,  it  will  be  consti- 
tuted on  the  principles  of  Jesus.  I  am  afraid," 
concluded  Sturrock,  with  a  pathetic  smile,  "my 
knowledge  of  iron  will  not  be  of  any  further 
use." 

"I  do  not  believe,  my  friend,  that  you  chose 

the  other  side,  for  the  men  who  fight  against 

Jesus  are  of  a  different  breed.     But  this  is  not 

the  time  for  arguing.  Suppose  you  have  refused 

84 


An  Irregular  Christian 

the  Master's  call,  as  a  young  man  like  you  once 
did  long  ago,  it  is  not  too  late  to  reverse  your 
decision  and  accept  Jesus  as  your  Lord.  You 
are  just  the  kind  of  disciple  he  wants,  for  you're 
a  deal  better  than  most  of  us  who  call  ourselves 
Christians;  and  look  here,  Sturrock,  I  believe 
the  Master  loves  you." 

"You  are  awfully  good,"  replied  Sturrock, 
"and  think  much  too  highly  of  your  friends,  but 
frankly  I  wish  you  had  not  made  that  appeal ;  I 
know  that  this  is  what  is  said  to  dying  men,  and 
that  they  are  told  to  repent  at  the  eleventh 
hour.  Last  week  that  miserable  rascal  who  mur- 
dered his  wife  had  some  wonderful  experiences 
before  he  mounted  the  scaffold,  and  he  delight- 
ed the  chaplain  and  the  religious  world  by  say- 
ing before  he  was  hanged — and  no  man  ever 
earned  his  death  more  thoroughly — that  he 
would  soon  be  in  the  arms  of  Jesus.  Perhaps 
he  was  right ;  the  future  is  a  great  mystery,  and 
the  ways  of  the  Eternal  are  past  finding  out. 
But,  speaking  as  a  mere  man,  it  seemed  to  me 
a  pitiable  incident."  And  as  Sturrock  had  some- 
thing more  to  say,  Carmichael  waited. 
85 


St.  Jude's 

"One  ought  not  to  be  too  hard,  I  suppose, 
upon  an  abject  like  that,  without  education,  and 
without  self-respect;  a  mere  log  on  the  stream 
of  life.  If  he  did  with  the  last  tide  float  into 
some  quiet  back-water,  so  much  the  better  for 
him,  and  perhaps  for  us  all.  But  it  would  be 
another  story  if  one  like  myself,  who  has  been 
master  of  his  fate,  and  has  taken  his  Hfe  in 
his  hands  to  use  it  as  he  judged  best,  should 
give,  say  its  fifteen  best  years  to  one  lord,  and 
then  when  he  had  found  his  choice  a  mistake  to 
take  the  last  twelve  hours  and  oflfer  them  to 
Jesus  Christ  in  order  to  secure  safety  in  the 
world  to  come.  This  is  not  consistent  with  man- 
hood, and  it  were  a  miserable  introduction  into 
the  next  world.  Upon  this  point  my  mind  is 
made  up,  and  as  I  am  a  little  exhausted  I  fear 
I  must  say  good-bye."  And  so  Carmichael  de- 
parted in  gloom  of  mind  and  great  sorrow  of 
heart,  trying  to  comfort  himself  with  the  re- 
membrance that  he  had  never  known  an  hon- 
ester  or  braver  man  than  Sturrock,  and  that 
every  man,  believing  and  unbelieving,  was  in 
the  hands  of  the  Divine  mercy. 
86 


An  Irregular  Christian 

While  Sturrock  was  prepared  for  either 
chance,  Carmichael  knew  that  he  would  fight 
for  his  hfe  Hke  a  tiger,  and  by  sheer  will-power 
he  beat  the  enemy.  He  was  determined  to  live, 
and  therefore,  the  doctors  said  afterwards,  he 
did  live  when  he  should  have  died.  Perhaps  it 
was  that  he  might  do  his  work,  and  perhaps  it 
was  for  his  mother's  sake.  Carmichael  had  no 
doubt,  and  used  always  to  tell  Mrs.  Sturrock 
that  it  was  for  love  of  her  her  son  came  up 
from  the  gates  of  death.  That  very  evening  he 
began  to  mend,  and  within  two  days  his  mother 
was  by  his  side.  Then  Carmichael  saw  another 
side  of  his  friend's  character.  Mrs.  Sturrock 
was  the  gentlest  and  kindest  of  little  women, 
to  whom  babies  rushed  from  their  mothers' 
arms,  and  whom  big  men  wished  to  serve;  but 
in  that  sick-room  she  was  an  absolute  despot. 
She  scolded  her  son  severely  for  not  having 
sent  for  her  at  once  (she  was  never  told  the 
reason),  and  that  masterful  man  cowered  before 
her,  and  whined  mendacious  excuses.  He  fol- 
lowed her  with  fond  eyes  as  she  moved  through 
the  room,  and  pretended  to  be  asleep  when  he 
87 


St.  Jude's 

was  wide  awake  in  order  to  please  her.  He 
pleaded  for  forbidden  dainties  with  mock  elo- 
quence, and  pretended  to  sob  when  they  were 
refused  him.  He  allowed  her  to  wash  his  face 
and  hands  and  comb  his  hair  without  a  mur- 
mur, but  refused  to  go  to  sleep  at  night  until 
she  kissed  him.  He  would  listen  for  an  hour  on 
end  while  she  read  to  him  her  favorite  religious 
book,  and  would  have  been  quite  pleased  if  that 
dear  nurse  had  read  a  botanical  dictionary ;  for, 
as  he  said  to  Carmichael,  "Did  you  ever  hear 
such  a  soothing  voice?  It's  just  like  a  caress." 
And  then  he  would  tell  the  minister  how,  when 
he  was  a  small  boy,  and  the  sermon  in  kirk  was 
very  long,  his  mother  allowed  him  to  rub  his 
cheek  against  her  sealskin  jacket, — one  of  the 
few  remains  of  her  richer  days.  His  mother 
would  then  retort  by  telling  stories  of  his  boyish 
exploits  and  rampageous  wickedness,  but  Car- 
michael noticed  that  all  the  stories  left  a  balance 
of  credit  to  her  son's  side.  It  was  a  bare  room 
when  she  came,  but  within  an  hour,  by  re- 
arrangement of  the  furniture  and  flowers  by  the 
bedside,  and  little  touches  here  and  little  touches 
88 


An  Irregular  Christian 

there,  and  chiefly  by  her  presence,  like  an  atmos- 
phere encompassing  the  invaHd,  that  bedroom 
had  become  home.  This  hard-headed  and  reso- 
lute iron  merchant  was  a  little  lad  again  in  the 
old  house,  and  his  mother  was  watching  over 
him  as  she  had  done  through  the  ailments  of 
his  childhood,  and  every  night  before  he  went 
to  sleep  he  had  to  say  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and 
he  did  so  like  a  man,  or  rather  as  a  little  child. 

Mrs.  Sturrock  felt  it  her  duty  to  keep  a  firm 
hold  upon  her  foolish  son  when  in  the  bedroom 
lest  he  should  get  the  better  of  her  and  coax 
her  to  allow  him  to  do  wrong  things ;  but  in 
the  sitting-room  she  lifted  up  her  voice  to  the 
minister  and  sang  his  praise. 

"Hugh  is  a  hearer  in  your  church,  Mr,  Car- 
michael,  and  you  have  been  very  kind  to  him, 
for  which  you  have  a  mother's  gratitude,  but 
yoti  cannot  know  what  a  son  he  has  been  to  me. 
I  heard  it  said  once  that  he  was  an  able  and  a 
hard  man.  I'm  judging  that  he  is  able,  for  he 
carried  off  the  prizes  by  the  dozen  at  school. 
But  hard!  Little  they  ken,"  and  the  mother 
laughed  triumphantly.  "Just  let  me  tell  you. 
89 


St.  Jude's 

"It's  thirteen  years  ago  since  I  lost  my  hus- 
band and  was  left  with  two  children,  my  daugh- 
ter, who  had  just  married,  and  Hugh.  He  was 
coming  out  of  his  apprenticeship  at  the  time, 
and  he  got  a  good  situation  for  such  a  lad,  but 
the  salary  was  only  a  hundred  pounds.  I  will 
tell  you  something,  Mr.  Carmichael,  but  it  is 
never  to  go  beyond  your  lips.  He  sent  me  half 
his  salary  the  first  year,  and  I  never  could  tell 
how  he  lived  on  the  other  half;  if  I'd  known  at 
the  time  what  he  had  I  wouldn't  have  taken  it, 
but  he  gave  me  to  understand  that  he  had  a 
hundred  and  fifty.  They  say  he's  honorable  in 
business,  but  he's  played  a  lot  of  tricks  on  his 
mother.  Whenever  his  salary  was  raised  there 
was  so  much  more  came  to  me;  he  began  by 
sending  it  weekly,  and  he  continues  to  do  that 
to  this  day,  but  I  count  the  letter  which  comes 
with  the  money  better  than  the  check,  but  maybe 
I'm  wearying  you?" 

"Wearying?"  cried  Carmichael,  who  was  hav- 
ing his  suspicions  splendidly  confirmed. 

"Nor  is  that  all,  if  I  must  tell  you  the  whole 
story.  My  poor  daughter  and  her  husband  died 
90 


An  Irregular  Christian 

within  two  months  of  each  other  eight  years 
ago,  and  if  Hugh  hasn't  taken  charge  of  the 
family,  and  says  he's  going  to  give  them  the 
best  education  in  Scotland.  There's  a  present 
for  each  of  the  bairns  on  their  birthdays ;  as  for 
me,  Mr.  Carmichael,  the  gifts  Hugh  sends  me  at 
New-year's  time  and  other  times,  too,  make  me 
ashamed,  even  my  very  marriage  day  he  knows 
and  remembers.  It  would  take  an  hour  to  give 
you  the  Hst,  but  I  could  do  it  and  not  forget 
one.  It  does  not  become  me,  however,  to  go 
on  like  this  about  my  son." 

"If  you  stop,  Mrs.  Sturrock,  we'll  quarrel.  I 
was  also  an  only  son,"  and  Mrs.  Sturrock 
brought  her  eulogy  to  a  glowing  conclusion. 

"There  is  one  thing,  Mr.  Carmichael,  which 
touches  my  heart  most  of  all,  and  will  let  you 
see  what  sort  of  man  Hugh  is.  When  there  is 
an  occasional  holiday  like  New-year's  day, 
where  do  you  think  he  goes?  Comes  down  to 
our  village  and  spends  it  with  me.  When  his 
yearly  holiday  comes  round,  and  other  men  like 
him  go  away  with  a  friend,  whom  do  you  think 
Hugh  takes?  I  see  you  know  more  about  him 
91 


St  Jude*s 

than  I  thought.  'Yes,'  he  said  to  me,  'mother, 
you're  my  oldest  friend,  and  we  go  together,' 
and  as  soon  as  he  was  able  he  took  lodgings  at 
the  seaside  for  me  and  the  bairns,  and  every 
year  we  have  a  better  house,  just  as  he  rises  a 
little  in  life.  And  he  declares  that  next  year 
he's  going  to  take  me  to  the  Continent.  Did 
you  ever  hear  such  nonsense?  But  best  of  all, 
Mr.  Carmichael,  I  never  heard  him  say  a  bad 
word,  nor  tell  a  lie,  nor  do  an  ill  deed  all  his 
days.  He  is  not  a  church-member,  and  that's 
the  only  thing  that's  ever  given  me  concern,  and 
about  which  we  diflfer.  He  has  conscientious 
difficulties,  and  I  could  not  press  the  matter,  but 
if  ever  there  was  a  true  Christian,  I  will  say  it 
though  I  be  his  mother,  it's  my  son." 

"Kate,"  said  Carmichael,  when  he  went  home 
that  afternoon,  "my  firm  belief  is  that  the  last 
witness  who  will  be  called  in  each  man's  case  at 
the  judgment  day  will  be  his  mother,  and  that  no 
man's  fate  will  be  settled  till  she  has  spoken.  H 
she  has  no  word  to  say  for  him,  that  son's  doom 
is  settled,  but  after  certain  mothers  have  given 
their  testimony  the  angels  will  go  to  the  back 
92 


An  Irregular  Christian 

of  the  crowd  and  bring  men  forward  who  have 
never  been  on  the  roll  of  our  churches,  and 
place  them  in  the  reserved  seats  beside  their 
mothers." 

"Good  man,  never  heard  a  sounder  word  from 
your  lips,"  said  Kate ;  "but,  John,  if  you  are  go- 
ing to  say  that  kind  of  thing  in  the  pulpit,  as 
you  value  your  life,  turn  it  into  religious  dialect." 
Which  Carmichael  did. 


93 


Iflatbanael 


fllatbanael 

The  remnant  of  the  supralapsarians  judged 
James  Marchmont  to  be  a  mere  amateur  in  doc- 
trine, and  a  victim  of  feeble  good-nature  in 
conduct ;  possibly  a  genuine  Christian,  but  with- 
out discernment  of  mind  or  firmness  of  will. 
The  congregation,  from  the  oldest  to  the  young- 
est, placed  him  an  easy  first  among  the  elders, 
and  on  account  of  the  simplicity,  purity  and 
charity  of  the  man  called  him  Nathanael.  His 
was  indeed  a  disposition  of  almost  exasperating 
patience  and  sweetness. 

When  the  chief  bore  of  St.  Jude's  (whom 
the  church  officer  called  "that  thing"  and  Car- 
michael  had  to  put  down  with  firmness  at  con- 
gregational meetings,  before  whom  even 
stalwarts  fled  in  the  city  and  at  sight  of  whom 
guilds  hastily  dispersed)  had  some  new  fad  to 
ventilate,  he  lay  in  wait  for  Marchmont,  and  that 
Christian  martyr  would  listen  for  an  hour  on 
end  to  the  dreary  flow  of  twaddle.  Into  his 
97 


St.  Jude's 

sympathetic  ears  Mrs.  MacWhae,  a  woman  of 
broken  spirit  and  perpetual  tears,  would  pour 
her  woes  about  her  two  sons,  lads  of  excellent 
character  and  sound  ability,  because  one  would 
not  teach  in  the  Sunday-school  and  the  other 
played  football  on  Saturdays.  And  when  Peter 
MacCraw,  the  malcontent  of  St.  Jude's  would 
be  raging  furiously  over  the  church  accounts, 
and  the  indignant  office-bearers  were  treating 
him  with  frank  discourtesy,  Marchmont  would 
go  out  of  his  way  to  appreciate  Peter's  con- 
scientiousness, and  talk  that  pragmatical  man 
almost  into  reason. 

If  there  was  a  quarrel  in  the  church  Nathanael 
was  employed  as  mediator,  and  scarcely  ever 
failed  to  settle  the  affair.  If  there  was  any 
sorrow  heavier  than  another  he  was  a  presence  of 
comfort,  and  he  used  then  to  be  called  Barnabas, 
the  son  of  consolation ;  on  other  occasions  he 
was  compared  to  John ;  and  indeed  he  monopo- 
lized, in  the  talk  of  the  congregation,  all  the 
attractive  male  characters  in  Bible  history,  and 
just  stopped  short  by  the  barrier  of  sex  from 
being  called  Dorcas.  For  years  he  had  admii)- 
,8 


Nathanael 

istered  the  poor's  fund,  and  it  was  understood, 
although  he  would  have  been  much  pained  if 
this  had  been  known,  that  he  doubled  the  grants 
out  of  his  own  pocket,  and  he  managed  the 
Sunday-school  as  if  the  children  had  been  his 
own  family. 

Politicians  of  both  sides  besought  him  to  enter 
the  City  Council,  and  promised  that  whatever 
were  his  views  there  would  be  no  contest.  When 
he  stood  behind  the  collection  plate  at  the  church 
door  people  realized  that  giving  was  an  act  of 
worship,  and  when  he  carried  the  cup  in  the 
sacrament  his  face  was  a  benediction.  It  was 
even  said  that  Simeon  MacQuittrick  was  soft- 
ened in  his  company,  and  had  admitted  the  pos- 
sibility of  salvation  for  members  of  the  Estab- 
lished Church ;  but  this  put  a  heavy  strain  upon 
our  credulity,  and  was  considered  to  be  rather  a 
parabolic  compliment  to  Nathanael  than  a 
statement  of  fact  about  that  uncompromising 
Covenanter. 

His  ways  were  so  unworldly  and  his  character 
so  winsome  that  he  was  surrounded  with  an 
atmosphere  of  romance,  and  his  life  became  a 
99 


St.  Jude's 

kind  of  idyll.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  had  in  his 
day  been  an  iron  merchant — one  of  the  most 
speculative  and  shrewdest  of  businesses — and  by 
a  lucky  inspiration  had  gone  on  selling  for  three 
months  with  a  falling  market,  and  at  the  end  of 
the  crisis  wisely  retired  with  a  competency.  But 
as  foresight  of  this  kind  was  thought  inconsis- 
tent with  his  ingenuous  nature,  it  came  to  be 
believed  that  the  worldlings  of  the  iron  market, 
recognizing  one  righteous  man  in  their  city,  had 
simply  thrust  business  upon  him  as  one  showers 
gifts  upon  a  happy  child. 

His  wife  had  died  after  a  brief  married  life, 
and  people  of  accurate  memory  and  candid 
speech  described  her  as  a  not  very  good-looking 
and  rather  flighty  young  woman.  But  she  died 
in  giving  birth  to  his  only  child,  so  in  course  of 
time  her  person  had  been  surrounded  with  a 
golden  mist,  and  he  had  come  to  think  of  her  as 
a  beautiful  saint.  When  reference  was  made 
from  the  pulpit  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  or  to  St. 
Elizabeth  of  Hungary,  or  St,  Theresa,  or  St. 
Margaret  of  Scotland,  or  any  other  holy  woman 
who  had  touched  the  religious  imagination,  he 

lOO 


Nathanael 

was  always  much  softened,  and  used  to  thank 
Carmichael  with  tears  in  his  eyes. 

He  had  an  enlarged  photograph  of  her  in  his 
dressing-room  and  he  carried  a  small  copy  in  his 
breast  pocket.  If  any  man  lost  his  wife  he 
shared  the  bereavement  with  unaffected  emo- 
tion, and  the  only  time  when  he  could  be  angry 
was  if  any  one  ill-used  a  young  child,  or  if  any 
misguided  man  made  a  second  marriage.  He 
was  careful  to  say  that  he  judged  no  man,  and 
that  there  might  be  reasons  of  expediency  for 
such  a  step,  but  in  his  view  the  ideal  marriage 
was  that  of  one  man  and  one  woman  united  for 
time  and  eternity,  and  he  dwelt  fondly  upon  the 
thought  that  his  young  wife  presided  over  his 
life  as  a  guardian  angel.  Whether  or  not  Mrs. 
Marchmont  had  really  been  a  rather  common- 
place and  not  very  refined  young  woman  did  not 
matter ;  her  distant  face  had  been  glorified  and 
her  whole  life  spiritualized,  and  more  than  any 
other  influence  she  had  gentled  James  March- 
mont's  life. 

The  chivalrous  romance  with  which  our  Na- 
thanael had  invested  the  memory  of  his  wife  in- 


St.  Jude's 

eluded  also  his  son  and  their  only  child.  It  was 
a  felicitous  convention  in  St.  Jude's  to  accept 
Marchmont's  deliverances  as  heavenly  inspira- 
tions and  never  at  any  time  to  criticise  them,  and 
it  was  our  earnest  desire  and  strenuous  effort 
not  only  to  sympathize  with  his  devotion  to  a 
departed  saint,  but  also  to  accept  his  fond  esti- 
mate of  the  boy.  His  father  had  called  him 
Leslie,  because  that  was  his  mother's  maiden 
surname,  and  it  was  his  delight  to  tell  his  friends 
how  the  mother  was  living  in  her  son,  for  whom 
she  sacrificed  her  life,  and  how  his  earthly  com- 
fort was  to  see  her  living  portrait. 

There  was  no  virtue  Nathanael  did  not  find 
in  Leslie  and  no  fault  he  had  ever  been  able  to 
discover;  indeed,  he  confided  to  Carmichael  once 
his  fear  that  a  lad  so  pure  and  gracious,  sweet 
and  obedient,  would  not  be  spared  long  on  earth, 
but  would  soon  be  again  resumed  by  heaven, 
where  his  mother  was  wearying  for  him.  Car- 
michael was  in  that  hour  torn  by  conflicting 
forces — his  affectionate  reverence  for  March- 
mont,  whom  he  looked  upon  as  a  father,  and 
his  keen  sense  of  reality. 

I02 


Nathanael 

When  doting  mothers  enlarged  upon  the 
superlative  qualities  of  prodigal  sons,  Carmichael 
was  sometimes  tempted  to  laugh  and  sometimes 
to  rage,  but  when  Nathanael  sang  with  tremu- 
lous accents  the  idyll  of  Leslie,  the  tears  came  to 
the  minister's  heart.  It  was  not  that  the  lad 
was  evil-tempered,  or  vicious,  or  repulsive,  or 
disobedient.  There  was  not  enough  strength  in 
him  to  do  anything  very  bad  or  to  be  very  dis- 
agreeable. He  had  a  foolish  face  and  a  feeble 
constitution,  but  his  manner  was  plausible  and 
pleasing.  Upon  no  occasion,  as  his  father  used 
to  boast,  had  he  ever  refused  to  do  anything  he 
was  asked;  this  was  likely  true,  but  then  what- 
ever he  promised  he  was  never  likely  to  do.  His 
was  the  pliable  type  which  is  ever  saying,  I  go, 
but  goes  not. 

With  his  father  he  was  kindness  itself,  so  far 
as  sentimental  words  and  friendly  little  offices 
went.  It  did  one  good  to  see  him  helping  his 
father  to  put  on  his  top  coat,  or  taking  care 
that  his  father's  throat  was  well  covered,  and  it 
was  mentioned  as  a  proof  of  filial  piety  that 
when  Leslie  was  asked  to  take  his  turn  at  the 
103 


St.  Jude*s 

penny  savings  bank  he  excused  himself  with  a 
modest  smile,  as  of  one  not  wishing  to  make  his 
good  works  known,  because  he  felt  that  his  place 
was  by  his  lonely  father's  side.  And  if  Mr. 
Marchmont  was  detained  from  church  by  any 
illness,  however  slight,  there  was  no  power,  not 
even  his  father's  wish,  that  would  induce  Leslie 
to  leave  the  house  on  Sunday. 

It  is  true  he  might  spend  Monday  in  the  city 
where  he  had  no  work  to  do,  but  then  he  always 
brought  home  a  flower  or  some  other  trifle  for 
his  father,  bought,  as  his  father  reflected,  at  a 
sacrifice  out  of  his  allowance.  "J^st  to  show, 
father,  that  though  I  did  not  see  you  I  was 
thinking  of  you ;"  and  then  he  would  kiss  him  in 
the  most  afifecting  manner.  He  had  all  kinds  of 
nice  little  ways,  and  if  you  had  only  seen  him  for 
an  evening  when  he  was  encompassing  his 
father  with  observances^  Leslie  might  have  de- 
ceived the  very  elect. 

Leslie's  career  would  have  disillusionized  any 

one  except  Nathanael,  and  it  left  no  doubt  in 

the  general  mind  about  the  lad's  weakness.   His 

enthusiasm  when  he  went  to  school  was  so  glow- 

104 


Nathanael 

ing  that  his  father  thanked  God  that  there  would 
be  one  scholar  at  least  in  his  family,  and  his 
devotion  to  work  in  the  evening  for  the  first  ten 
days  was  so  extreme  that  his  father  consulted 
the  doctor  and  counseled  prudence.  "My  only 
fear  is  that  the  sword  may  wear  out  the  scab- 
bard ;  it  is  often  so  with  those  bright  and  eager 
minds."  As  a  docile  boy,  Leslie  took  his  father's 
warning  to  heart  and  restrained  his  energy  so 
carefully  that,  in  his  report  upon  Leslie's  first 
term  the  master  complained  of  a  tendency  to 
inattention  and  a  want  of  application,  and  a  year 
afterward  told  his  father  plainly  that  Leslie  was 
incurably  slack  and  careless,  and  that  although 
his  ability  was  not  naturally  great,  he  would  not 
even  use  what  he  had. 

For  a  brief  hour  Marchmont  was  shaken  by 
this  deliverance,  and  spoke  as  seriously  as  he 
could  to  his  son.  The  lad  was  so  much  hurt,  not 
by  the  headmaster's  hard  words,  for  "he  does 
not  understand  me,"  but  by  his  father's  disap- 
pointment, "for  I  just  live  on  your  approval" 
(from  his  earliest  days  Leslie  had  a  prolific 
genius  for  polite  phrases),  that  his  father  ac- 
105 


St.  Jude's 

cused  himself  bitterly  of  cruelty,  and  set  hirrt- 
self  to  comfort  the  sufferer. 

For  days  Leslie  wore  a  countenance  of  chas- 
tened resignation,  and  only  slowly  regained  his 
former  manner,  and  his  father  explained,  that  he 
had  sent  him  to  another  school, 

"If  the  dear  lad  has  sympathy  and  feels  that 
he  is  loved,  he  can  do  anything ;  if  he  is  harshly 
treated,  he  shrivels  up  like  a  blossom  stricken 
by  the  frost." 

And  we  did  not  laugh,  because  it  was  Nathan- 
ael  speaking,  but  if  it  could  have  been  kept  from 
his  father,  any  of  the  elders  would  have  been 
glad  to  box  Leslie's  ears. 

From  the  second  school  the  tender  plant  had 
to  be  withdrawn  on  account  of  the  rudeness  of 
the  boys  in  their  games,  and  also  an  assault  made 
upon  Leslie  on  a  false  charge  of  sneaking. 

"He  has,  unfortunately  for  him,"  his  father 
remarked,  "my  wife's  refinement  of  manner  and 
shrinking  from  rough  people.  Were  it  not  that 
he  is  really  so  brave  and  manly,  without  any 
assumption  I  could  have  wished  that  he  were  a 
girl ;  he  has  so  fine  and  sweet  a  disposition." 
io6 


Nathanael 

His  nature  indeed  was  so  delicate  that  his 
education  was  completed  at  home  with  the  aid 
of  a  private  tutor.  This  arrangement  was  most 
satisfactory  to  Leslie,  for  one  reason — it  al- 
lowed him  to  be  all  forenoon  under  the  same 
roof  with  his  father,  and  he  made  a  point  every 
hour  of  leaving  his  work  for  a  considerable  time 
just  to  see  that  his  father  was  not  too  lonely, 
and  to  render  him  any  passing  service. 

When  the  time  came  for  Leslie  to  go  into 
business,  Mr.  Marchmont  took  immense  trouble 
to  secure  a  suitable  office,  and  in  this  he  had 
Leslie's  most  hearty  and  interested  attention. 
There  was  some  wild  talk  to  begin  with  about 
his  being  apprenticed  as  an  engineer,  and  his 
father,  owing  to  past  business  connections,  could 
have  secured  him  an  excellent  opening.  But 
Leslie,  while  himself  longing  above  all  things  for 
the  calling  of  an  engineer,  refused  to  enter  upon 
any  work  which  would  oblige  him  to  leave  his 
father  alone  from  five  in  the  morning  to  seven 
in  the  evening. 

"Poor  lad,  I  cannot  help  appreciating  his  af- 
fection, but  I  am  sorry  he  has  refused  this 
107 


St.  Jude's 

chance ;  however,  when  it's  a  question  about  me, 
you  know  how  obstinate  he  is.  'Father,'  he  said 
to  me  yesterday,  'there  are  only  two  of  us ;  we 
must  keep  close  together.' " 

A  shipping  firm  was  also  ready  to  take  Mr. 
Marchmont's  son,  but  Leslie,  again  devoured 
with  anxiety  for  his  father's  well-being,  found 
that  the  clerks  in  shipping  offices  had  often  very 
late  hours,  and  occasionally  had  to  work  all 
night,  and  he  vetoed  shipping  with  much  firm- 
ness. Short-sighted  and  unsympathetic  masters 
might  call  him  a  slacker,  but  Leslie  had  a  will 
of  his  own,  and  could  put  down  his  foot  on  a 
just  occasion. 

An  office  was  at  last  secured  which  did  not  re- 
quire Leslie  to  leave  his  father's  side  till  g  A.  M. 
and  allowed  him  to  be  again  at  the  post  of  filial 
duty  before  6  P.  M.,  and  Leslie  flung  himself 
into  the  profession  of  accountant  with  consum- 
ing zeal.  "Father,"  he  said,  with  a  touch  of 
moisture  in  his  eyes,  "I  never  want  to  be  rich, 
for  that  brings  no  happiness;  but  I  should  like 
to  earn  an  honorable  position  for  your  sake," 
which  greatly  cheered  our  good  Nathanael,  who 
io8 


Nathanael 

recognized  in  the  son  the  high  spirit  of  his 
mother. 

When  Mr.  Marchmont  inquired  of  the  firm 
whether  Leslie  was  giving  them  satisfaction,  he 
received  guarded  answers,  and  was  again 
haunted  by  the  fear  that  hard-headed  men  of 
figures,  who  were  constantly  dealing  with  difficult 
accounts  and  clearing  up  the  affairs  of  bankrupt 
firms,  might  be  too  matter-of-fact  and  too  pro- 
saic to  appreciate  a  lad  of  feeling.  Leslie  made 
no  complaint,  and  answered  his  father  bravely 
when  he  asked  him  whether  he  was  comfortable. 
He  spoke  rather  as  one  who  had  his  cross  to 
carry,  but  concealed  its  weight. 

When  the  senior  partner  of  the  firm  died — a 
magnate  who  did  not  know  Leslie  by  name  and 
who  had  never  spoken  to  him  during  his  nine 
months'  service — the  lad,  a  creature  of  senti- 
ment, was  so  overcome  by  grief  that  he  declared 
himself  unable  to  resume  work  in  that  office. 

"It  was   so   sudden,   father,   and   so   sad.     I 

know  it  is  foolish  of  me,  but  I  shall  not  be  able 

to  get  rid  of  the  memory.     Of  course  I  could  go 

on  with  my  work,  but  I  would  not  be  able  to  do 

109 


St.  Jude's 

it  to  my  satisfaction,  and  I  cannot  bear  the  idea, 
for  my  own  sake  or  yours,  father,  of  half-done 
work." 

His  father  accepted  this  as  another  of  the 
disabilities  of  a  sensitive  disposition,  "Really,  I 
do  not  know  how  he  will  be  able  to  face  life  in 
this  rough  world ;  it  would  not  do  were  there 
many  like  him ;  but  if  there  were  not  a  few  ten- 
der hearts,  life  would  not  be  worth  living.  It  is 
not  from  me,  but  from  his  mother,  he  inherits  his 
tenderness  and  sympathy." 

After  this  aflFecting  episode  it  was  understood 
among  Mr.  Marchmont's  friends  that  Leslie's 
health  had  weakened,  and  that  his  condition  was 
a  cause  of  anxiety.  Neither  his  appetite  nor  his 
face  suggested  any  kind  of  danger,  but  the 
ailments  of  the  nervous  system  are  subtle.  His 
father  was  afraid  that  Leslie  had  begun  to  brood, 
and  laid  himself  out  to  cheer  his  cast-down  son 
by  various  little  diversions.  "If  his  mother  only 
had  been  spared  it  would  have  been  different," 
said  dear  Nathanael,  "for  he  is  a  real  mother's 
boy." 

Finally,  after  consultation   with  his   friends. 


Nathanael 

who,  I  am  afraid,  gave  no  encouragement  to  the 
idea,  but  rather  treated  it  with  veiled  derision, 
his  father  took  LesHe  for  a  trip  to  the  East,  and 
came  home  in  high  spirits  because  his  stricken 
son  had  at  last  thrown  off  the  effect  of  his  chief's 
death,  and  was  recovering  his  natural  tone. 
Leslie,  however,  showed  no  devouring  desire  to 
resume  business  in  any  department  and,  we  were 
given  to  understand,  was  going  to  devote  him- 
self entirely  to  the  care  of  his  father. 

Faithful  friends  hinted  to  Mr.  Marchmont 
that  this  was  not  the  best  training  for  his  son's 
character,  and  perhaps  was  not  the  wisest  course 
for  himself;  but  words  were  useless  with  that 
dear  man,  who  only  shook  his  head  with  expres- 
sions of  gratitude  for  our  interest,  and  assured 
us  that,  while  what  we  said  applied  to  the  aver- 
age lad  with  much  force,  Leslie  was  in  a  class  by 
himself.  No  one  would  have  hurt  Nathanael's 
feelings  for  a  king's  ransom,  and  so,  with  the  re- 
serve of  a  cruel  kindness,  his  friends  looked  on 
while  the  father  thanked  God  for  so  tender- 
hearted and  refined  a  son,  and  the  son  pranced 
round  the  city  dressed  in  the  latest  fashion  of 
III 


St.  Jude's 

tie,  waistcoat,  handkerchief  and  cane,  lunching 
at  the  best  restaurants,  faithfully  visiting  every 
cricket  and  football  match,  traveling  first-class 
on  his  railway  journeys  and  generally  enjoying 
every  luxury. 

Carmichael  was  just  discussing  with  himself 
whether  he  should  pluck  up  courage  and  shake 
Marchmont's  little  paradise  about  his  ears,  even 
at  the  cost  of  wounding  both  Nathanael  and 
himself,  when  things  took  a  new  turn.  Nathan- 
ael called  one  morning  and  informed  the  minister 
with  the  utmost  joy  that  Leslie  proposed  to 
make  a  surprising  departure. 

"You  must  understand,  Mr.  Carmichael,"  ex- 
plained the  father,  "that  my  sainted  wife  and  I 
had  resolved  that,  if  God  was  ever  pleased  to 
give  us  a  son,  we  should  dedicate  him  from  the 
first,  like  young  Samuel,  to  the  holy  ministry ; 
and,  if  she  had  been  spared,  it  would  have  been 
our  joy  to  guide  his  mind  in  that  direction,  and 
the  pride  of  our  life  to  see  him  an  ordained  min- 
ister of  the  Kirk.  It  was  not  the  will  of  God 
to  spare  my  beloved  wife,  but  I  have  never  for- 
gotten our  spiritual  ambition,  and  I  have  ever 

112 


Nathanael 

hoped  that  Leslie's  thoughts  might  turn  towards 
the  Church." 

As  Carmichael  was  too  much  amazed  to  offer 
any  remark,  Nathanael  continued,  "This  is  not  a 
matter,  however,  placed  in  human  hands,  and 
Leslie  made  no  sign  that  he  had  ever  considered 
the  ministry.  Still,  it  was  very  remarkable  how 
he  refused  engineering  and  shipping,  and  how, 
by  the  hand  of  Providence,  as  I  now  think,  he 
left  the  accountant's  office,  where  there  would 
have  been  so  brilliant  a  career  for  him,  and 
during  those  last  months,  has  been  in  such  an 
anxious  and  restless  condition. 

"I  felt  that  there  was  some  meaning  in  all 
this,  and  I  was  not  quite  astonished  when  the 
dear  lad  told  me  this  morning  that,  after  care- 
ful and  prayerful  consideration,  he  had  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  he  ought  to  study  for  the 
ministry.  He  would  have  told  me  sooner,  but  he 
very  properly  wished  to  be  fixed  in  his  own  mind 
before  he  took  such  an  important  step. 

"And  now,  Mr.  Carmichael,  as  you  have  often 
pleaded  most  earnestly  that  young  men  should 
hear  this  high  call,  and  not  be  afraid  to  carry 
"3 


St.  Jude's 

this  heaviest  cross,  I  felt  that  I  must  come  at 
once  and  give  you  this  encouraging  news.  Your 
words,"  concluded  Mr.  Marchmont  with  emo- 
tion, "have  not  been  in  vain,  nor  my  prayers." 

As  the  situation  dawned  upon  Carmichael's  re- 
ceptive mind,  and  he  imagined  Leslie  denying  in 
turn  every  tempting  allurement  of  worldly  gain, 
and  accepting  from  the  highest  motives  the  call 
to  the  severest  profession — as  he  saw  with  the 
eye  of  prophecy  that  austere  toiler  plucked  at 
every  examination  and  rated  by  every  professor, 
and  then,  supposing  that  by  some  miracle  he 
reached  the  length  of  the  ministry,  as  he  beheld 
this  amazing  lad  addressing  a  congregation  of 
grown-up  men  and  women  on  the  most  sacred 
things  of  human  experience,  the  minister  was 
so  much  overcome  that  he  was  obliged  to  with- 
draw himself  from  Mr.  Marchmont's  observa- 
tion, and  go  over  to  the  window  to  study  the 
opposite  houses. 

Nathanael  was  not  surprised  at  the  impression 
he  had  produced,  and  when  their  common  emo- 
tion, although  the  causes  were  different,  had  sub- 
sided, they  took  counsel  together  about  the  prac- 

n4 


Nathanael 

tical  steps.  And  it  was  then  Carmichael  had  an 
inspiration.  Two  things  he  had  quickly  resolved 
he  might  not  do ;  he  would  neither  cut  the  heart 
of  this  good  man  by  suggesting  that  his  son 
was  nothing  but  a  vain  show,  and  the  last  person 
in  St.  Jude's  to  enter  the  ministry  of  the  Cruci- 
fied, and  he  would  not  do  anything  to  assist  Les- 
lie in  his  new  device  and  his  general  uselessness. 
The  best  plan  would  be  to  put  this  genial  slacker 
through  an  ordeal  which  would  bring  out  his 
real  character  and  turn  his  mind  very  speedily 
from  the  road  to  the  theological  hall. 

"It  is  always  very  encouraging  when  any 
young  man  considers  that  he  has  heard  the  call 
of  Christ,  and  professes  himself  willing  to  share 
the  Master's  burden;  but,  as  you  know,  Mr. 
Marchmont,  the  laborer  must  be  prepared  for  his 
work,  and  the  Scots  Kirk  trains  her  ministers 
very  severely.  You  spoke  a  moment  ago  as  if 
Leslie  could  go  at  once  to  the  university,  but  I 
am  not  sure  that  he  is  fit;  of  course  he  has  had 
a  sound  school  education,  and  I  do  not  mean 
that  he  has  not  been  a  hard  worker,  but  even 
a  good  scholar  grows  rusty  after  tv^o  or  three 
"5 


St.  Jude's 

years,  especially  if  he  has  given  his  mind  to  the 
work  of  an  accountant. 

"What  I  suggest,"  Carmichael  continued,  "is 
that  Leslie  go  to  a  capable  coach  for  six  months, 
and  then  we  shall  see  whether  he  is  ready  to 
enter  the  university." 

And  Carmichael  had  in  his  mind  the  very 
tutor  designed  of  Providence  for  the  searching 
and  trying  of  young  Marchmont. 

Roderick  McCrorie  was  a  tall  and  powerful 
Celt,  black-bearded  and  fierce  in  expression,  who 
knew  six  languages  thoroughly,  and  was  under- 
stood to  be  on  intimate  terms  with  six  other 
departments  of  knowledge.  There  were  few 
examinations  for  which  he  did  not  prepare,  from 
the  Militia  Army  examination  to  the  Indian 
Civil  Service,  and  there  was  no  pupil  to  whom 
he  did  not  give  his  full  strength.  If  the  lad  was 
a  worker,  then  McCrorie  exploited  him  to  the 
last  ounce,  and  if  he  were  a  rotter  McCrorie 
doubled  him  up  and  flung  him  off  in  a  month. 
His  own  constitution  was  Bessemer  steel,  his 
pace  was  tremendous,  and  his  language  was  sul- 
phurous, for  he  had  the  advantage  of  reenforc- 
ii6 


Nathanael 

ing  any  deficiencies  of  the  milder  English  from 
the  resources  of  the  fertile  Gaelic.  Into  Rod- 
erick's most  capable  and  quite  remorseless  hands 
Leslie  was  committed,  with  a  conclusive  result 
in  three  weeks'  time. 

"You  will  be  noticing,  Mr.  Carmichael,"  re- 
ported McCrorie  in  the  minister's  study,  "that  I 
am  not  denying  Leslie  Marchmont  to  be  compos 
mentis,  or  affirming  that  he  is  in  a  legal  sense 
imbecile.  But  I  will  give  evidence  in  any  place 
that  he  is  on  the  border-land,  and  that  he  is 
incapable  of  acquiring  anything  that  may  be 
called  accurate  knowledge.  There  is  in  him,  by 
nature,  very  little  mind,  and  what  there  is  he 
will  not  use,  and  for  me  to  be  taking  fees  from 
his  father  for  teaching  a  fool  is  not  this  man's 
way,  and  for  me  to  be  sending  such  a  miserable 
creature  into  any  place  of  learning  would  be  a 
disgrace  to  my  name.  Maybe  you  will  be  telling 
his  father  this  in  better  language,  but  I  am  judg- 
ing," finished  up  McCrorie  with  a  grim  smile, 
"that  after  a  small  talk  we  were  having  in  my 
rooms  last  night,  the  lad  will  not  be  wanting 
any  more  of  my  instruction." 
117 


St.  Jude's 

No  complete  and  trustworthy  account  of  that 
final  interview  between  Roderick  McCrorie  and 
Leslie  Marchmont  has  ever  been  given,  but  there 
is  a  shrewd  idea  that,  in  the  glare  of  the  tutor's 
uncompromising  speech  Leslie  saw  himself  for 
once,  at  least,  in  his  natural  state,  and  it  is  cer- 
tain that  he  refused,  in  quite  distinct  terms,  ever 
to  place  himself  again  within  McCrorie's  reach. 

"Of  course  I  do  not  blame  you,  Mr.  Carmi- 
chael,  for  one  moment,"  said  Nathanael,  when 
this  chapter  of  Leslie's  life  closed,  "for  you  did 
everything  for  the  best,  and  you  could  not  have 
known  how  unfeeling  a  man  Mr.  McCrorie  is. 
It  has  been  a  great  blow,  both  to  Leslie  and  my- 
self, but  I  am  glad  to  say  he  takes  the  matter 
in  the  right  spirit;  he  does  not  repent  of  his 
intention  to  become  a  minister,  but  he  sees  that 
the  arduous  study  which  is  quite  just  and  proper 
would  be  too  much  for  his  strength,  and  he  has 
too  high  a  spirit  to  be  an  inefficient  or  unlearned 
minister.  After  a  long  conversation  we  both 
agree  that  he  must  give  up  this  idea ;  but,  as  the 
dear  lad  said  himself,  'there  are  other  places 
where  one  may  do  good  than  in  the  pulpit,'  and  I 
ii8 


Nathanael 

know  that  he  is  very  keenly  interested  in  var- 
ious kinds  of  social  work  in  the  city." 

With  every  year  Nathanael  grew  purer  and 
gentler,  more  beneficent  and  more  lovable,  and 
with  every  year  Leslie  became,  if  possible,  more 
idle,  more  useless,  more  luxurious,  and  more 
self-conceited.  When  Nathanael  died,  which 
was,  for  him,  Uke  passing  from  the  outer  court 
of  heaven  into  the  holy  place,  his  last  words 
were  a  blessing  upon  the  most  tender  and  faith- 
ful of  sons,  and  a  promise  that  he  would  tell  the 
dear  departed  to  whom  he  hastened  of  her  son's 
goodness.  And  nothing  could  exceed  either  the 
studied  perfection  of  Leslie's  mourning  dress 
or  his  graceful  and  touching  display  of  grief. 

He  is  now  living  easily  upon  his  father's 
means;  and  when  the  son  meets  from  time  to 
time  one  of  Nathanael's  friends  he  will  refer, 
with  excellent  taste  and  a  suggestion  of  emo- 
tion, to  "my  dear  father  whom  you  knew  so  well, 
and  whose  loss  to  me  can  never  be  repaired." 
This  goes  to  prove  that  conspicuous  goodness 
may  be  a  great  gain  to  the  world,  and  a  practical 
loss  to  a  man's  own  family. 
119 


H  Dome0tlc  Difference 


H  Domestic  Difference 

"Yes,  I  am  in  trouble,  big  black  trouble,"  said 
Mrs.  Sprott,  after  the  briefest  preliminaries. 
"I  felt  I  must  go  to  some  person,  and  I  thought 
it  best  to  come  to  you ;  for  you  said,  you  know, 
if  you  could  help  any  person  in  a  strait  you 
would  do  it,  and  I'm  sure  I'm  in  one."  Mrs. 
Sprott  broke  down  openly,  and  dabbed  her  eyes 
with  an  absurd  little  handkerchief,  fit  only  for 
a  baby,  as  is  the  way  with  women. 

Carmichael  walked  over  to  the  window  to 
allow  his  visitor  to  recover  herself,  and  con- 
structed the  situation.  As  he  had  not  been  long 
married,  and  continued  to  the  end  a  lover,  he 
took  the  most  sympathetic  interest  in  love- 
aiTairs  and  newly-married  people.  He  used  to 
go  and  bless  each  home  when  it  was  opened, 
and  did  his  best,  in  an  unconventional  fashion,  to 
establish  each  family  on  pure  love  and  the  fear 
of  God.  Young  fellows  allowed  him  to  share 
their  hopes  when  they  were  trying  to  win  the 
123 


St.  Jude*s 

prize  of  life,  which  is  love,  and  girls  came  to 
tell  him  of  their  engagement  next  morning. 
He  was  a  vagrant  theologian  and  scattered  him- 
self over  many  fields,  but  his  most  candid  critics 
admitted  that  he  had  a  hold  upon  the  elementary 
emotions  of  humanity.  The  Sprotts'  marriage 
had  been  a  surprise  to  him,  although  before  he 
died  Carmichael  was  never  astonished  at  any- 
thing in  human  affairs.  James  MacCluckie 
Sprott — as  regards  his  middle  name,  he  was 
called  after  an  eminent  father  of  the  Free  Kirk, 
and  he  therefore  used  it  with  punctilious  pride 
— was  the  most  proper  and  one  of  the  most 
pedantic  men  in  the  whole  congregation  of  St. 
Jude^s,  and  Mrs.  Sprott  was  a  good-looking, 
gay-hearted,  harum-scarum,  but  perfectly  sound 
girl,  whom  he  had  met  on  his  summer  holiday 
at  a  watering-place.  Carmichael  was  puzzled  to 
know  how  a  girl  so  unlike  the  typical  Christian 
worker  which  was  Sprott's  idea  of  womanhood, 
could  ever  have  captivated  such  a  staid  and 
judicious  person,  and  how  so  bright  and  win- 
some a  creature  could  ever  have  been  attracted 
by  such  a  worthy  prig  as  the  good  Sprott.  The 

134 


A  Domestic  Difference 

laws  of  humanity  are  constantly  uniting  sobriety 
and  gaiety — the  girl  of  impulsive  temper  with  a 
man  of  calm  judgment ;  but  those  two  young 
people  were  at  extremes^  and  Carmichael  had 
often  speculated  about  the  interior  of  their 
menage.  He  also  had  said  to  Kate  that  if  he 
were  a  woman  he  would  not  have  married  J. 
MacCluckie  Sprott  for  a  king's  ransom.  "But 
since  you  are  a  man,  Jack,  what  about  Mildred 
Sprott?"  "That,  Katherine,"  said  the  minister 
severely,  "is  another  question,  and  it  is  time 
you  were  engaged  with  your  household  duties." 
"Tell  me  what  is  wrong,  Mrs.  Sprott ;  I'm 
awfully  sorry  that  you  are  in  trouble,  but  you 
were  right  to  come  to  me.  That  is  what  we 
are  for.  Not  baby  I  hope ;  of  course  not  (as 
she  shook  her  head  and  for  the  moment  bright- 
ened), that  child  of  yours  is  immense,  the 
strongest  and  happiest  youngster  I  ever  saw, 
and  I  am  getting  to  be  a  judge  of  babies.  And 
your  people  all  well?  That's  good.  One  gets 
anxious  about  the  old  home  when  it's  far  away. 
It  can't  be  your  husband,  for  I  saw  him  last 
evening  at  the  meeting  of  the  workers'  asso- 
125 


St.  Jude's 

ciation,  and  he  was  in  splendid  form,  moving 
resolutions,  and  raising  points  of  order,  in  fact, 
enjoying  himself  to  his  heart's  content." 

"But  it  is  just  him  I've  come  about,"  replied 
Mrs.  Sprott.  "Of  course  he  enjoyed  himself 
last  evening,  and  he  told  me  as  usual  v^^hen  he 
came  home  all  the  things  he  had  said  and  done, 
and  how  many  mistakes  he  had  corrected,  and 
how  he  was  right  and  everybody  was  wrong. 
But  I  don't  care  a  button  about  his  committees, 
and  his  wretched  little  arguments ;  it's  what  he 
does  at  home  that  worries  me.  It  was  bad 
enough  at  the  beginning,  but  he's  growing  worse 
every  week,  and — and  I  can't  stand  it  any  longer. 
So  before  I  do  anything  rash  I  came  to  consult 
you.  No,  certainly  not,"  continued  Mrs.  Sprott, 
"there's  nothing  wrong  in  James's  conduct; 
there  never  was  such  a  correct  man  born  since 
— Enoch  or  some  other  of  those  Old  Testament 
characters.  I  only  wish  to  goodness  he  had 
once  done  something  that  he  shouldn't,  or  made 
a  mistake.  I  don't  mean  that  really,  but  you 
understand ;  he  wouldn't  have  been  so  fearfully 
right,  and  all  the  world  so  fearfully  wrong.  You 
196 


A  Domestic  Difference 

have  no  idea,  Mr.  Carmichael,  what  a  mad- 
deningly regular  man  he  is.  He  rises  at  seven 
exactly,  waiting  till  the  hall  clock  strikes,  and 
he  has  family  worship  at  seven  forty-five — what 
an  hour,  just  like  Bradshaw — and  of  course  the 
servants  are  fearfully  sick,  and  when  people  are 
staying  with  us  they  are  never  in  time,  and  then 
James  makes  that  a  grievance.  He  leaves  for 
the  office  exactly  at  eight  thirty.  If  the  dinner 
is  two  minutes  late  he  talks  about  it  for  days ; 
the  lights  downstairs  are  put  out  at  ten,  unless 
he's  kept  late  moving  resolutions  somewhere. 
The  old  newspapers  are  kept  in  what  he  calls 
'files  for  reference,'  and  if  he  sees  any  of  my 
silk  lying  loose  in  the  drawing-room  he  says  it's 
untidy;  he  puts  every  book  back  in  its  place 
after  reading,  and  he  is  always  setting  the  time- 
pieces at  the  correct  time ;  and  he's  got  three 
different  top-coats  for  different  temperatures, 
and  he's  always  correcting  your  grammar  and 
telling  you  to  say  'he'  instead  of  'him,'  and  it's 
got  upon  my  nerves. 

"Now,   don't   laugh   at   me,   Mr.    Carmichael, 
and  don't  speak,  for  I'm  not  done ;  if  that  were 
127 


St.  Jude's 

all  I  wouldn't  come  bothering  you,  for  of  course 
nobody's  perfect — do  you  know  I've  got  some 
faults  myself?"  and  Mrs.  Sprott  smiled  bewitch- 
ingly.  "But  James  carries  what  he's  pleased 
to  call — he  has  a  perfect  stock  of  this  kind  of 
language — 'the  principle  of  order'  into  the  house 
affairs.  He  says  that  everything  should  be  paid 
for  when  it's  bought,  except  food,  and  that 
should  be  settled  every  week.  And  goodness 
knows  I've  no  objection  to  that,  I  think  it's 
quite  right,  for  you  know  where  you  are  then, 
don't  you?  It's  the  way  he  does  it  which  irri- 
tates me.  On  Saturday  morning  he  sits  down 
at  the  table  in  a  little  room  he  calls  his  study, 
and  I  have  to  bring  him  the  house  books  for 
the  week,  then  he  adds  them  up,  and  gives  me 
money  to  pay  them ;  but,  just  fancy,  he  will  go 
ranging  up  and  down  the  books  to  find  what  the 
different  pieces  of  meat  cost,  why  we  had  more 
cabbages  one  week  than  another.  To  hear  him 
on  the  price  of  tea  is  enough  to  make  you  sick ; 
he  has  recently  found  out  a  kind  at  is.  ii^d. 
if  you  take  a  quantity.  It's  Indian  tea,  and  I'm 
sure  it  will  make  us  ill,  and  I  tell  him  it's  far 
128 


A  Domestic  Difference 

better  to  have  China  tea — don't  you  think  so 
yourself?     China  tea  has  a  better  flavor." 

Carmichael  explained  briefly  that  he  didn't 
know  one  tea  from  another,  but  in  loyalty  to 
Mrs.  Sprott  he  was  willing  to  believe  that  if  a 
person  took  Indian  tea  in  preference  to  Chinese, 
his  palate  must  be  beyond  contempt,  and  even 
his  sanity  was  not  beyond  question ;  Carmichael 
suggested,  however,  that  she  should  go  on  with 
her  story. 

"Where  was  I  ?"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Sprott.  "Oh, 
yes,  I  know,  about  the  special  bills.  Well,  he 
gives  me  so  much  money  one  Saturday  to  do 
for  the  next  week,  as  I  have  to  pay  them  at  the 
time,  then  I  have  to  show  the  bills  and  the 
money  I  have  over,  and  he  strikes  what  he  calls 
a  balance,"  and  Mrs.  Sprott  mentioned  the 
word  balance  with  keen  disHke.  "You  may 
guess,"  and  Mrs.  Sprott  looked  confidently  at 
the  minister,  "that  the  money  is  always  wrong. 
Sometimes  it's  only  a  shilling  or  two,  but  last 
week  it  was  nearly  a  pound,  and  I'm  sure  I  don't 
know  what  happened  to  it.  There's  something 
called  discount,  he  says  I  ought  to  get,  but  you 
129 


St.  Jude's 

know  when  the  tradespeople  don't  offer  it,  how 
am  I  to  knovv'?  Don't  you  think  they're  rather 
tricky?  I  do,  and  I'm  sure  they  don't  always 
give  me  the  right  change.  Sometimes,  too,  I 
buy  things  in  passing,  fruit,  you  know,  or  maybe 
a  pair  of  gloves,  and  I  forget  to  put  them  down, 
so  the  whole  account  is  wrong.  We  get  to 
wrangling;  James  tells  me  that  I  have  no  head, 
and  that  my  mother  ought  to  have  taught  me 
domestic  economy.  Then  I  get  cross — I  have 
a  wee  bit  of  a  temper,  and  I  told  him  last  week 
that  he  should  have  married  a  bookkeeper  from 
a  dry  goods  store,  which  of  course  was  rather 
horrid ;  but  if  you  only  knew  how  aggravating 
he  is,  sitting  at  that  table,  with  those  beastly 
accounts  in  front  of  him,  and  little  piles  of 
money!  I  could  sweep  them  all  on  the  floor 
with  my  hand. 

"I  am  afraid,  Mr.  Carmichael,  all  this  is  bor- 
ing you,  but  there  is  something  I  must  tell  you, 
or  else  you  won't  understand  what  I  am  going 
through.  Within  the  last  month  or  two  James 
has  begun  to  meddle  with  the  servants,  because 
he  has  got  a  craze  that  they  are  wasteful.  He 
130 


A  Domestic  Difference 

was  lecturing  the  housemaid  upon  the  proper 
use  of  soap,  and  said  it  must  always  be  old, 
for  new  soap  was  extravagant.  He  wanted  to 
have  the  quantity  that  was  given  to  her  every 
month — for  the  bedrooms,  you  know,  and 
things — written  down  in  a  book.  How  he  can 
tell  about  soap,  I  don't  know ;  he  seems  to  have 
studied  everything  under  the  sun,  especially  the 
things  no  self-respecting  man  should  know  any- 
thing about.  That  wouldn't  have  mattered 
much,  for  the  housemaid  is  a  good-natured  girl, 
and  I'm  quite  sure  just  laughs  at  him  when  he 
lectures  on  soap.  But  what  did  he  do  last 
week!  just  fancy,  he  went  down  to  the  kitchen 
and  questioned  the  cook,  whom  I'm  afraid  of, 
I  tell  you  quite  frankly,  what  she  did  with  the 
dripping,  and  how  much  coals  the  kitchen  range 
burned  in  a  week.  You  will  not  believe  me,  I 
am  sure,  but  he  wants  the  cook  to  weigh  the 
coals  for  the  fire,  that  he  may  know  what  the 
cost  of  cooking  the  food  is.  Of  course  she  was 
simply  frantic,  and  when  he  was  leaving  the 
kitchen  she  pinned  a  small  dishcloth  to  his  coat- 
tail,  and  he  came  into  the  drawing-room  with 
131 


St.  Jude's 

it  on.  That  is  how  I  found  out  where  he  had 
been,  for  I  thought  he  was  in  the  study  getting 
ready  resolutions  for  you  and  those  poor  visitor 
people.  Besides,  the  cook  gave  notice  next  morn- 
ing, and  said  she  would  never  stay  in  any  house 
where  the  master  didn't  know  his  own  place. 
She  declared  also — and  I  couldn't  help  laugh- 
ing, though  it's  really  no  fun  for  me — that  she 
would  rather  be  a  negro  slave  than  weigh  the 
coals  in  a  pair  of  scales,  and  that  no  Christian 
man  should  ask  such  a  thing  of  any  woman." 

Carmichael  was  so  edified  by  this  amazing 
illustration  of  MacCluckie  Sprott's  thorough- 
ness in  detail  and  genius  for  meddling,  that  he 
did  not  feel  himself  able  to  offer  any  remark 
at  this  stage.  And  the  indignant  young  wife 
swept  on  to  her  conclusion. 

"You  can't  imagine  what  I  feel,  and  how  I'm 
fretted  every  day.  Why,  I've  been  hours  and 
hours  trying  to  make  the  money  and  the  ac- 
counts fit.  One  day  I  took  the  horrid  book  and 
threw  it  into  the  lire,  I  was  so  angry  with  it; 
you  would  think  I  was  a  fool  because  I  can't 
add  figures,  and  one  day  he  spoke  as  if  I  weren't 
132 


A  Domestic  Difference 

honest.  Perhaps  I'm  a  silly,  but  my  patience 
is  gone.  What  I  feel  is  that  I'm  not  a  wife, 
but  just  a  housekeeper,  and  not  a  very  good  one, 
according  to  him,  at  that ;  so  I've  written  a  let- 
ter to  father  telling  him  that  I'm  coming  home. 
I  don't  mean  quite  separation,  you  know,  but 
just  for  a  little  while,  to  see  whether  that  will 
bring  James  to  his  senses,  and  get  him  out  of 
those  disgusting  ways  of  balances  and  'princi- 
ples of  order'  and  all  the  other  nonsense.  I 
know  that  one  should  never  tell  outside  what 
happens  in  a  home,  for  I  heard  you  say  that  at 
a  marriage  service,  but  then  one  may  go  to  a 
minister,  and  I  thought  I  would  take  your  ad- 
vice before  I  sent  away  the  letter." 

"You  were  quite  right,  Mrs.  Sprott,  to  come 
to  me  in  the  circumstances,"  said  Carmichael 
gravely,  for  he  saw  how  deeply  the  poor  girl 
had  been  wounded,  and  how  keen  was  her  hu- 
miliation, "and  I'm  very  glad  you  did  so,  for 
you  must  on  no  account  post  that  letter.  Un- 
less in  the  most  desperate  circumstances — and 
yours  are  not  quite  that,  you  know — a  wife  must 
not  let  any  one  come  in  between  her  husband  and 
133 


St.  Jude's 

herself.  You  may  be  sure  I'm  not  going  to 
meddle,  but  I  would  like  to  comfort  you  as 
much  as  possible,  and  you  know,  I  hope,  with- 
out my  saying  it  that  I  quite  sympathize  with  you 
in  this  queer  trial  you  are  passing  through. 
Still,  things  might  be  worse.  Just  let  us  see,  and 
imagine,  Mrs.  Sprott,  that  you  are  answering 
questions  out  of  a  catechism.  Your  husband 
always  does  provide  enough  money,  and  you 
have  never  any  fear,  as  some  young  wives  have, 
that  they  cannot  make  ends  meet,  and  that  some 
day  they  may  have  to  leave  their  pretty  little 
home." 

"There's  no  fear  of  that  with  James;  he's  the 
most  saving  and  careful  creature  you  could 
find  in  the  whole  city.  He  told  me  only  last 
week  that  he  had  invested  some  money  for  baby 
— just  imagine,  the  little  man  is  a  shareholder, 
if  that's  what  you  call  it,  in  the  something-or- 
other  railway,  I  can't  remember  what." 

"Quite  so,  and  your  husband  is  not  a  lazy 
man  who  pays  no  attention  to  his  business,  and 
I  don't  think,  so  far  as  I  can  hear,  that  he  has 
many  bad  habits." 

134 


A  Domestic  Difference 

"I  should  think  not;  why  James  is  fit  to  be 
a  minister,  Hke  that  dreadful  man  MacCluckie 
that  started  his  name.  I'll  give  my  word  that 
there's  not  a  better  living  man  in  the  whole  city, 
and  as  for  work,  why  I  can  hardly  get  him  to 
take  a  holiday ;  he  says  he  must  get  his  business 
established,  so  that  baby  and  me — oh,  bother,  I 
should  have  said  I — may  be  quite  safe  if — I 
hate  to  hear  him  talk  like  this — anything  hap- 
pened to  him." 

"That  is  very  satisfactory.  And  is  his  temper 
very  hasty,  and  does  he  fly  out  at  you  occa- 
sionally? Pardon  me,  this  is  a  catechism,  you 
know." 

"Temper,  I  never  knew  a  man  have  so  little 
or  have  such  a  hold  of  himself;  he  vexes  me 
about  the  accounts,  as  I  told  you,  and  by  all 
that  wretched  exactness,  and  by  his  little  lec- 
tures, but  he  has  never  said  one  really  cross 
word  to  me.  He's  just  splendid  that  way,  and 
when  there's  any  little  thing  goes  wrong,  like 
pipes  bursting  or  bother  about  your  carriage 
going  to  the  seaside,  he's  most  managing.  I've 
got  the  temper,  you  know,  and  I  may  tell  you 
135 


St.  Jude's 

that  when  I'm  in  a  wax  he's  gentleness  itself." 
"The  only  other  thing  that  occurs  to  me  to 
ask  is  this,  does  he  forget  your  marriage  day 
or  your  birthday  ?  Would  he  bring  home  some- 
thing for  such  occasions?"  And  as  he  asked 
this  question  Carmichael  had  the  air  of  a  man 
who  had  heard  things. 

"How  curious  you  should  ask  that,  for  though 
James  is  so  dead  against  extravagance,  and  is 
always  preaching  that  they  who  go  slowly  go 
surely — that's  one  of  his  sayings,  you  know — 
he  gave  me  a  pair  of  the  divinest  brushes  v/ith 
silver  backs,  real  silver,  you  know,  and  art  fig- 
ures, for  my  birthday,  and  a  perfect  duck  of  a 
ring  to  commemorate  our  marriage  day.  And 
he  said, — ^but  I'm  not  going  to  tell  that  to  any- 
body," And  it  was  plain  that  Mrs.  Sprott  was 
smoothing  her  ruffled  plumes. 

"Well,  Mrs.  Sprott,  instead  of  putting  the  let- 
ter in  the  post-office,  and  making  two  homes 
miserable,  and  instead  of  you  going  back  to 
your  father,  and  wishing  you  hadn't  done  so 
as  soon  as  you  had  left  the  station,  you  will  just 
give  me  the  letter.  That  it?  So.  Now,  we'll 
136 


A  Domestic  Difference 

watch  it  burn,  and  there  it  has  all  ended  in 
smoke.  You  are  very  much  in  love  with  your 
husband,  who  is  only  a  man  like  the  rest  of  us, 
and  has  his  failings.  But  you  know  he  will 
never  disgrace  you,  he  will  always  keep  a 
good  roof  above  your  head,  he  will  compass 
you  with  attention,  and  you  will  be  proud  of 
much  work  which  he  does  for  the  good  of  his 
fellow-men.  Mrs.  Sprott,  I  venture  to  suggest 
that  you  give  him  a  very  warm  welcome  when 
he  comes  home  to-night,  and  that  you  tell  hini 
next  Saturday  that  you  are  simply  going  to 
work  like  a  tiger  at  those  accounts,  and  that, 
as  he's  a  good  business  man,  you  are  going  to 
ask  him  to  help  you." 

"What  an  impossible  and  howling  ass  Mac- 
Cluckie  is,  to  be  sure,"  said  Carmichael  to  him- 
self when  Mrs.  Sprott  had  departed,  "and  yet 
he's  a  decent  and  well-meaning  ass.  And  not 
an  ass  in  business  either,  or  in  morals.  She's 
a  delightful  girl,  although  I  dare  say  she's  a 
trifle  disappointing  with  the  household  books, 
but  she  has  plenty  of  sense  and  a  sound  stock 
of  pride.  Suppose" — Carmichael  concluded  his 
137 


St.  Jude's 

soliloquy — "we  try  an  experiment."  And  so  he 
wrote  a  note  to  Sprott  asking  him  to  call  on  his 
way  home,  as  he  wished  to  speak  to  him  about 
church  affairs. 

"Much  obliged  to  you  for  looking  in,  and 
saving  me  a  walk  out  to  your  house,  though  it's 
an  immense  temptation,  I  may  tell  you,  to  have 
half  an  hour's  talk  with  your  wife.  If  I  may 
be  allowed  to  say  so,  she  is  one  of  the  brightest 
and  most  charming  girls  that  I  know,  and  I  am 
certain  every  person  has  the  same  opinion.  It 
must  be  pleasant  for  you  to  hear,  as  no  doubt 
you  do,  so  many  nice  things  said  about  her,  but 
that  wasn't  what  I  was  going  to  talk  about.  It 
was  about  the  motion  you  have  tabled  for  Mon- 
day evening,  which  I  am  afraid  will  cause  some 
division  in  the  committee." 

"Very  likely  it  will,  Mr,  Carmichael;  but  I 
was  looking  over  several  books  of  order  last 
night,  and  I  am  quite  confirmed  in  my  opinion 
that  mine  is  the  only  course  in  keeping  with  the 
law  of  the  Kirk,  and,  as  I  am  prepared  also  to 
argue,  with  the  rules  of  business.  But  before 
we  go  into  that  matter  allow  me  to  express  my 
138 


A  Domestic  Difference 

appreciation  of  the  remarks  you  were  good 
enough  to  make  regarding  Mrs.  Sprott.  She  is 
— though  it  may  not  become  me  to  say  so — all 
that  you  have  mentioned,  and  her  disposition  is 
as  excellent  as  her  appearance  is — well,  agree- 
able." 

"Agreeable !  why  she's  lovely !  You  have  a 
jolly  home,  in  fact,  Sprott,  and  if  you  knew 
the  miser)'  inside  some  famihes  where  the  wife 
and  husband  don't  pull  together,  you  would 
thank  God  even  more  than  you  do  for  such  a 
blessing  as  he  gave  you  in  your  wife  and  that 
baby,  who  is  just  A  i." 

"Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Sprott,  "we  are  very 
happy,  and  I  trust  that  I  am  grateful ;  of  course, 
as  an  old  divine  says,  there's  a  crook  in  every 
lock,  and  if  we  hadn't  some  little  trial  we  should 
have  no  discipline  for  our  souls.  You  are  not 
to  understand  that  there  is  anything  seriously 
wrong  in  our  family  life,  but  it  is  curious  you 
should  have  touched  on  the  matter;  there  is 
just  a  very  sHght  difference,  which  I  should  like 
to  speak  to  you  about.  You  will  of  course 
regard  this  communication  as  absolutely  confi- 
139 


St.  Jude's 

dential,  for  I  am  certain  that  Mrs.  Sprott  would 
be  most  indignant  if  she  knew  that  I  had  men- 
tioned it ;  it's  the  last  thing  that  she  would  do 
herself."  And  when  Carmichael  indicated  that 
he  was  a  deep  well  into  which  every  word  sank 
and  disappeared  out  of  sight  and  recall,  Mac- 
Cluckie  Sprott  pursued  his  measured  course. 

"It  would  be  unpardonable  to  occupy  your 
time  with  details,  but  I  may  say  in  a  word  that 
in  my  weekly  revisal  of  household  accounts  I 
have  found  Mrs.  Sprott  occasionally  more  than 
slightly  inaccurate,  and  also  sometimes  very  un- 
willing to  enter  into  my  methods  of  domestic 
management.  Nor  has  she  always  supported 
me  as  I  expected  her  to  do  when  I  was  giving 
the  servants  some  directions,  in  their  particular 
departments,  which  I  judged  wise  and  useful. 
As  regards  petty  cash,  Mrs.  Sprott  does  not 
know  what  it  means." 

"Gracious  goodness,"  cried  Carmichael — he 
ought  not  to  have  used  such  expressions,  but  he 
was  far  too  much  of  a  layman — springing  to  his 
feet  and  looking  with  really  unfeigned  amaze- 
ment at  Sprott's  formal  figure  and  self-sufficient 
140 


A  Domestic  Difference 

countenance,  "do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you 
bother  yourself  with  the  house  accounts,  and 
that  you  instruct  the  servants  in  their  duties? 
James  MacCluckie  Sprott,  you're  not  a  man, 
you're  a  marvel,  the  like  of  you  could  not  be 
found  in  the  city.  A  man  who  can  do  such 
things  could  command  the  British  Navy,  or 
square  the  circle.  Do  you  know  I  should  like 
to  shake  hands  with  you,  but  I  do  not  feel  I  am 
worthy. 

"Joking!"  continued  Carmichael,  for  Sprott 
was  regarding  him  with  great  amazement,  "do 
you  imagine  I  would  jest  on  a  subject  so  seri- 
ous ?  Honestly,  I  am  lost  in  admiration  of  your 
capacity.  One  understands  how  you  can  put 
our  committees  right  if  you  can  manage  your 
cook  and  keep  the  household  accounts." 

"But  what  do  you — do?"  stammered  Sprott, 
whose  world  seemed  to  be  breaking  up.  "I 
don't  mean  you  personally,  Mr.  Carmichael,  but 
the  heads  of  households  generally." 

"What  do  I  do,"  Carmichael  cried  in  huge 
delight,  "oh,  I'll  tell  you  that  without  hesitation, 
exactly  what  every  other  sensible  man  does, 
141 


St.  Jude's 

unless  he's  a  genius,  of  course.  As  soon  as  we 
came  home  from  our  marriage  tour,  which  was 
ten  days  and  not  very  far,  my  wife  and  I  came 
to  an  agreement  about  the  division  of  labor.  I 
was  to  attend  to  the  Church  and  she  was  to  look 
after  the  home.  I  was  to  provide  the  money 
and  she  was  to  spend  it.  We  established  a 
bank  account,  and  I  paid  in  everything  into  it, 
she  draws  out  what  is  needed  and  pays  all  the 
accounts ;  it's  as  simple  as  day ;  all  great  inven- 
tions are,  like  the  screw,  you  know.  I've  never 
given  a  thought  to  money  since  I  was  married, 
the  only  bother  is  when  my  wife  forgets  to 
give  me  money  for  the  car,  and  I  have  to  pay  in 
postage  stamps;  and  one  day  I  had  to  go  out 
to  the  country  to  see  a  sick  person,  and  as  I 
had  only  ninepence  the  railway  clerk  took  my 
watch-chain  for  a  pledge.  There  will  always  be 
some  little  inconveniences,  you  know,  Sprott, 
with  every  scheme.  Petty  cash!  It's  I  who 
get  the  petty  cash,  but  I  render  no  account,  just 
go  and  ask  for  more."  And  at  the  sight  of 
Sprott,  who  was  now  speechless,  and  at  the 
thought  of  that  extremely  exact  and  punctilious 
142 


A  Domestic  Difference 

person  getting  his  few  pennies  for  the  day,  and 
otherwise  leaving  his  worldly  substance  in  the 
hands  of  Mrs.  Sprott,  Carmichael  chuckled 
aloud. 

"Look  here,  Mr.  Sprott,  speaking  quite  seri- 
ously, that  is  what  I  do.  But  every  man  has 
his  own  way,  and  this  is  what  I  would  recom- 
mend to  you,  just  for  an  experiment.  Give  your 
wife  a  generous  monthly  allowance — generous, 
mark  you,  and  put  her  on  her  mettle  to  work 
the  house  economically,  and  then  see  how  it 
comes  out  at  the  end  of  three  months.  It  will 
do  her  a  jolly  lot  of  good  to  have  the  respon- 
sibility and  it  will  save  you  ever  so  much  worry. 
That's  my  advice  as  an  aged  married  person, 
just  approaching  his  golden  wedding,  or,  to 
speak  quite  truthfully,  who  has  found  two  years' 
married  life  on  this  principle  a  tremendous  suc- 
cess." 

MacCluckie  Sprott  gave  no  promise,  but  he 
left  considerably  impressed,  and  Carmichael  at 
odd  moments  wondered  what  had  happened,  and 
then  was  beginning  to  forget  the  incident,  when 
Mrs.  Sprott  one  morning  burst  into  his  study 
143 


St.  Jude's 

overflowing  with  delight  and  self-satisfaction. 
"Do  you  remember,  Mr.  Carmichael,  when  I 
called  upon  you  one  morning,  and  filled  this 
study  with  my  cowardly  clamor  about  the  cook 
and  the  petty  cash,  and  threatened  to  do  all 
kinds  of  horrid  things  if  James  interfered  any 
more  with  the  accounts?  I  dare  say  you  have 
forgotten  all  about  it,  but  I  haven't,  and  I've 
always  been  rather  ashamed  of  bothering  you, 
and  telling  secrets ;  but  I  want  to  let  you  know 
that  everything  is  quite  changed  now  in  the 
domestic  economy  and  petty  cash  department, 
and  I've  scored  a  rattling  success.  You  really 
want  to  know  about  it  ?  Well,  that's  very  good- 
natured  of  you,  and  here's  the  whole  story  of 
the  transformation  scene  in  six  words,  or  as 
near  to  six  as  a  woman  ever  gets.  Three  months 
ago  exactly  last  Saturday,  when  I  went  into  the 
study  after  breakfast,  and  was  sicker  than  I  had 
ever  been  in  my  life,  for  I  knew  there  were  half- 
a-dozen  mistakes  at  least,  James  hardly  looked 
at  the  accounts,  and  then  told  me  he  was  going 
to  leave  the  whole  management  of  the  house 
in  my  hands,  and  pay  so  much  money  into  the 
144 


A  Domestic  Difference 

bank  in  my  name,  and  that  I  was  to  manage  it 
as  carefully  as  possible,  and  let  him  see  at  the 
end  how  much  I'd  saved.  Mr.  Carmichael,  I 
declare  I  almost  fainted;  and  when  he  said  he 
would  help  me  any  time  I  wanted  to  add  up  fig- 
ures, but  that  he  wasn't  going  to  ask  any  ques- 
tions,, and  that  he  believed  I  would  turn  out  an 
A  I  housekeeper,  I  confess  to  you  I  simply 
romped  round  that  old  study.  Of  course  I 
kissed  him,  and  he  looked  quite  another  man 
going  down  the  street,  gay  and  jaunty,  you 
know." 

"Well?"  said  Carmichael. 

"The  three  months  are  up;  Jim  says  he  was 
never  better  fed  in  all  his  life;  the  cook  stayed 
on  after  all,  for  she's  a  good  sort  if  she  isn't 
ragged;  and  guess  how  much  I  have  over? 
Can't  you?  Eleven  pounds  fifteen  and  sixpence 
ha'penny.  I'm  awfully  proud  of  that  halfpenny. 
You  never  saw  any  man  so  pleased  as  Jim 
looked  when  he  knew  that  all  the  accounts  were 
paid  and  saw  the  bankbook.  And  he  is  good; 
he  has  ordered  me  to  spend  that  eleven  pounds 
on  anything  I  like  for  myself,  and  I  am  going 
H5 


St.  Jude's 

to  have  such  a  dream  of  a  frock,  pink  silk  with 
gauze  over,  and  lace  besides  other  things,  all 
in  remembrance  of  my  first  real  housekeeping. 
Life  is  so  different  and  Jim  is  ever  so  much 
nicer,  doesn't  talk  about  principles  at  all,  and 
hardly  ever  argues. 

"I  wonder,"  said  Mrs.  Sprott,  catching  a 
gleam  in  Carmichael's  eye,  "no,  I  am  sure  you 
didn't  break  confidence;  but  you  may  have 
spoken  to  him  on  your  own  account.  I  am  cer- 
tain that  you  did.  Oh,  you  are  a  dear.  You 
can't  imagine  how  happy  you  have  made  two 
people.  If  you  were  an  old  minister  with  white 
hair,  do  you  know  what  I  would  do?  I  would 
come  over  and  give  you  a  real  good  hug."  And 
Mrs.  Sprott  went  off  with  a  high  heart  to  buy 
that  frock. 


146 


H  TRuIer  in  Herael 


a  "Ruler  in  Israel 

During  his  first  month  at  St.  Jude's  Car- 
michael  lived  in  a  whirl  of  unaccustomed  cir- 
cumstances and  strange  names,  but  out  of  this 
phantasmagoria,  Mrs.  Grimond  emerged  at  in- 
tervals and  laid  hold  of  his  mind.  He  had  a 
clear  remembrance  of  a  fresh  and  masterful  old 
face  at  the  social  meeting,  when  he  was  intro- 
duced to  the  congregation,  and  never  a  day 
passed  but  she  was  again  introduced  to  him  in 
conversation.  People  were  sealed  for  approval 
because  Mrs.  Grimond  had  a  great  idea  of  them, 
and  others  were  regarded  as  doubtful  some- 
where because  she  did  not  care  for  them;  a 
minister  was  declared  to  be  a  good  preacher 
upon  her  distinct  judgment,  and  another  might 
be  a  good  man,  but  he  could  not  boast  of  pulpit 
gifts,  for  she  had  dubbed  him  a  "haverin'  body." 
Any  scheme  in  the  Church  had  omens  of  success 
if  Mrs.  Grimond  thought  it  w'ise,  but  its  history 
was  going  to  be  one  of  hardship  if,  in  her  frank 
149 


St.  Jude's 

opinion,  it  was  "pairfect  nonsense."  The  elders 
themselves,  with  all  their  authority  of  ordination 
and  dignity  of  office,  could  not  be  indifferent  to 
Mrs.  Grimond,  and  it  was  whispered  that 
shrewd  sayings  of  hers  were  quoted  in  high 
places,  and  influenced  the  decisions  of  the  Ses- 
sion. 

When  Carmichael  confessed  that  he  had 
not  yet  called  on  this  elect  lady,  the  other  man 
was  amazed  at  his  delay,  and  suggested  an  im- 
mediate visit  as  one  of  the  measures  of  prac- 
tical wisdom  in  Hfe ;  he  also  indicated  that  until 
the  minister  met  this  particular  parishioner  he 
had  not  begun  to  know  his  parish,  and  that  if  he 
wished  to  do  well  by  himself  and  St.  Jude's 
he  had  better  put  himself  quickly  and  modestly 
under  her  guidance.  Various  imperative  duties 
hindered  him  from  this  privilege  and  honor,  and 
when  at  last  he  came  to  the  door  of  her  house 
he  had  the  feeling  of  waiting  upon  a  queen,  and 
was  quite  convinced  that  the  wisdom  and  energy 
of  the  elders  and  the  deacons,  the  Sunday-school 
teachers  and  the  district  visitors,  and  all  the 
congregation  had  for  some  inscrutable  purpose 
150 


A  Ruler  in  Israel 

of  PfOviderice  been  gathered  up  and  centred  in 
the  person  of  Mistress  Jean  Grimond. 

Certainly  his  first  impression  was  deepened 
when  he  saw  this  honorable  woman  in  her  chair 
of  state,  for  she  never  received  any  person  ex- 
cept when  seated  on  the  throne.  In  the  fore- 
noon she  was  dressed  in  some  soft  gray  ma- 
terial, touched  here  and  there  with  pink.  She 
wore  a  fleecy  white  shawl,  and  her  cap  was  a 
fine  compromise  between  grace  and  majesty; 
there  was  also  in  it  an  arrangement  of  white 
and  pink.  Although  the  oldest  woman  Car- 
michael  had  met,  even  with  his  vast  experience 
of  the  countr}',  Mrs.  Grimond  was  as  erect  as 
an  ash-tree,  and  rarely  condescended  to  lean 
back  in  her  chair  when  visitors  were  present; 
her  complexion  was  clear  and  fresh,  and  neither 
her  cheeks  nor  her  brow  had  a  single  wrinkle. 
But  the  dominating  feature  was  her  eyes,  which 
were  a  full  blue  of  the  shade  of  the  sky,  and 
they  were  charged  with  a  fearful  insight.  They 
seized  you  in  a  moment,  as  a  naturalist  might 
take  up  a  strange  animal;  they  examined  you 
up  and  down  and  through  and  through;  they 
151 


!5t.  Jude*s 

settled  what  you  were  and  what  you  could  do; 
they  understood  what  you  intended  apart  from 
what  you  said ;  and  they  anticipated  your 
thoughts  before  you  had  uttered  them.  Before 
those  eyes,  as  before  a  flame  of  fire,  hypocrisy, 
affectation,  foolishness  and  sentimentality  shriv- 
eled up  and  were  consumed.  If  you  were  to 
withstand  them  you  required  a  man's  courage, 
and  you  were  not  likely  to  escape  unscathed ; 
if  you  tried  in  any  way  to  deceive  them,  you 
were  certain  to  be  worsted  and  you  would  never 
recover  the  exposure.  Whether  in  days  past 
they  had  ever  melted  through  love  or  sorrow, 
no  one  knew;  no  one  now  saw  them  weaken 
or  fail;  through  her  long  life  this  indomitable 
woman  had  fought  her  battle  without  flinch- 
ing, and  without  complaining,  dominating  cir- 
cumstances and  compelling  men  and  women  to 
be  her  servants.  Without  fear  and  without 
gentleness;  without  illusions  and  without  con- 
ventions ;  without  any  knowledge  of  sickness 
or  of  other  weakness ;  handsome  still  in  her  old 
age,  and  imperious  through  her  gifts  of  mind 
and  body,  she  was  the  strongest  woman  one 
i5» 


A  Ruler  in  Israel 

could  meet  in  a  month's  journey,  or  for  that 
matter,  perhaps,  in  a  hfetime.  After  Carmichael 
had  paid  his  respects,  and  he  almost  felt  as 
if  he  should  kneel  and  kiss  her  hand,  she  gra- 
ciously invited  him  to  take  a  chair,  which  was 
so  placed  that  she  could  embrace  him  with  her 
eyes,  and  Carmichael  had  no  doubt  that  when 
the  interview  was  over  he  would  depart  either 
justified  or  condemned. 

"You  are  welcome,  Mr,  Carmichael,  and  I 
hope  that  we  shall  be  good  friends ;  I  can  maybe 
help  you  in  your  work  at  St.  Jude's,  for  there 
is  Httle  I  do  not  know,  and  I  shall  be  glad  to 
have  your  services  from  time  to  time  through 
the  winter  months  when  I  am  prevented  from 
going  to  kirk.  I  was  expecting  you  to  have 
called  before,  for  I  dare  say  you  have  heard 
my  name,  but  I  expect  you  were  well  employed." 
And  Carmichael  murmured  that  he  had  been 
trying  to  get  hold  of  the  situation  and  had  been 
visiting  the  office-bearers  and  leading  workers 
of  the  Church. 

"That  was  pairfectly  judicious,"  said  Mistress 
Grimond,  "for  ye  have  to  work  with  them,  and 
153 


St.  Jude's 

ye  must  understand  your  tools.  Some  of  them 
are  able  men  and  have  done  well  for  themselves 
in  the  city,  but  have  no  more  religion  than  a 
jackdaw;  some  have  plenty  of  religion  and  can 
pray  by  the  yard,  but  their  brains  are  porridge ; 
there  is  a  select  few  who  have  both  sense 
and  religion ;  pay  attention  to  what  they  say. 
There  are  men  who  will  tell  you  that  there's 
never  been  a  preacher  in  Glasgow  like  you, 
and  compare  you  to  the  apostle  Paul;  thank 
them  and  laugh  in  your  sleeve ;  there  are  men 
who  will  object  to  everything  you  say  from  the 
beginning,  and  call  ye  every  kind  of  heretic ; 
tell  them  that  ye're  very  sorry,  and  just  say  the 
same  things  next  Sabbath.  But  if  ye  come 
across  a  man  of  discernment  and  he  gives  you 
a  hint,  lay  it  past  for  your  consideration."  As 
Carmichael  was  now  listening  most  respectfully, 
Mrs.  Grimond,  with  a  quick  glance  at  him  to 
be  sure  that  the  seed  was  falling  into  honest 
soil,  continued  her  advice, 

"Consult   the    elders    about    everything,    and 
tell  them  all  your  plans ;  some  of  them  are  wise 
— I  know  three  at  any  rate ;  others  are  little  bet- 
154 


A  Ruler  in  Israel 

ter  than  fools,  but  they're  harmless ;  one  or  two 
are  just  half  and  between.  But  they  are  the 
ordained  elders  of  the  Kirk,  and  they  should 
be  respeckit,  besides,"  said  Mrs.  Grimond,  with 
a  shrewd  gleam  in  her  eyes ;  "if  you  take  them 
with  you  in  anything,  the  congregation  can't 
oppose,  and  if  it  turns  out  wrong,  ye  can  let 
the  blame  rest  on  the  elders.  So  far  as  my  ob- 
sairvation  goes,  the  best  use  of  elders  is  to  do 
any  little  trokes  the  minister  can  put  upon  them 
and  to  stand  up  for  the  minister  to  the  people. 

"As  regairds  the  congregation,"  and  Mrs. 
Grimond,  finding  the  new  minister  receptive, 
pursued  her  didactic  course,  "they  are  a  mixed 
multitude,  but  you  will  remember  they  are  your 
flock,  and  ye  maun  do  the  best  by  all  of  them. 
There  are  some  families  ye  will  draw  to  by  na- 
ture ;  take  care  that  you  are  not  too  much  at 
their  houses;  there  are  some  families  ye  wilt 
hardly  be  able  to  bear;  see  that  ye  visit  them 
regularly.  Have  no  favorites,  or  else  ye'll  get 
into  trouble,  and  in  the  end  they  will  turn  against 
you;  have  no  animosities,  for  they  just  fret  the 
mind,  and  set  the  heather  on  fire.  You  are 
155 


St.  Jude's 

young,  and  you  are  hasty  with  a  high  speerit,  I 
judge,  which  rides  your  reason.  For  any  sake, 
keep  your  tongue  within  your  teeth,  and  don't 
give  confidences ;  watch  every  man,  and  use 
every  man,  and  do  your  duty  by  every  man,  but 
let  no  man  have  any  word  from  you  that  he  can 
use  against  you,  nor  let  any  man  hold  you  in 
his  hand.  Get  into  the  saddle  as  quickly  as  you 
can  and  sit  tight,  but  ride  them  without  the 
curb  if  ye  can,  and  without  the  spurs. 

"That  is  all  I  have  to  say  to  you  at  present," 
concluded  her  Majesty,  "but  there  may  be  many 
other  things  afterwards.  If  there  is  any  man  ye 
cannot  measure,  or  any  plan  ye  can't  see  the 
drift  of,  come  to  me,  and  I  may  be  wrong,  but 
I  judge  that  I  can  help  you.  There  may  be  one 
or  two  I  have  my  doubts  about,  but  the  rest  I 
can  read  like  print."  And  Carmichael  was  will- 
ing to  admit  that  in  all  probability  she  was  right, 
and  that  he  would  soon  be  the  last  book  added 
to  her  human  library. 

"Now,"  began  Mrs.  Grimond  again,  "it's  time 
I  was  telling  you  about  myself,  for  it  may  be 
instructive  to  hear  my  history;  whether  it  be 
156 


A  Ruler  in  Israel 

good  or  bad,  there's  one  thing  I'm  sure  of,  it 
has  been  long.  I  am  ninety-five  years  old  this 
year  1880,  so  ye  see  I  was  born  juist  forty  years 
after  the  rebellion  and  four  years  before  the 
French  Revolution.  I've  had  the  advantage  of 
seeing  the  turn  of  the  tide,  the  old  days  depart 
when  the  kings  ruled  and  the  new  days  come 
when  the  people  rule.  Everybody  cries  up 
democracy  nowadays,  but  I  have  my  thoughts; 
there  were  bad  kings,  but  I've  never  heard  that 
all  the  people  are  Solomons ;  ye  could  get  rid 
of  a  daft  king ;  what  are  you  to  do  with  fools  of 
people.  I  mind  the  day  when  the  patrons  ap- 
pointed the  minister,  and  now  they  call  that 
outrageous,  so  the  ministers  preach  in  turns 
like  horses  running  a  race,  and  the  ploughmen 
judge  which  they  like  best.  But  whether  the 
ploughman  be  wiser  than  the  laird,  it  is  not 
for  me  to  say. 

"As  regards  my  own  religion,  Mr.  Carmichael, 
I've  had  advantages  which  are  given  to  few, 
and  which  have  kept  me  from  beegotry.  My 
grandfather  was  a  Catholic,  and  the  Scots  Cath- 
olics are  a  good  breed,  and  my  grand-uncle 
157 


St.  Jude's 

was  a  priest ;  there  were  queer  doings  after  the 
*45,  so  my  father  joined  the  EstabHshed  Kirk. 
He  married  an  Episcopalian,  for  there  were  a 
lot  of  them  about  Forfarshire  in  the  Jacobite 
days,  but  she  went  with  him,  and  I  was  brought 
up  in  the  Kirk,  under  Dr.  McLarty — a  douce 
and  honest  man  he  was,  who  kept  a  quiet  sough 
in  troubled  days  and  gave  no  oflfense  to  any 
person.  For  myself,  I  married  young  and  we 
went  to  the  old  Kirk,  till  the  disruption  in  1843. 
What  good  that  did  I  pass  no  opinion,  for  ye're 
a  Free  Kirk  minister,  and  I'm  a  Free  Kirk 
member.  My  husband  was  carried  away  by  Dr. 
Chalmers,  so  he  joined  the  Free  Kirk,  and  as 
I  was  always  an  obedient  wife" — and  the  ex- 
pression on  Mrs.  Grimond's  face  at  this  point 
was  wonderful  to  behold — "I  went  with  him, 
and  I  made  no  change  after  his  death,  which  I 
always  consider  was  hastened  by  the  Disruption. 
"He  was  a  well-doing  man,"  and  the  widow 
spoke  of  the  long  ago  deceased  with  calm  de- 
tachment, "and  had  a  good  name.  We  had  no 
words  during  our  married  life,  for  he  did  his 
work  outside  and  I  did  mine  inside,  and  I'll  not 
158 


A  Ruler  in  Israel 

deny  that  he  deferred  very  frequently  to  my 
judgment.  I  always  considered  that  he  had  the 
root  of  the  matter  in  him,  and  I'll  say  this  for 
him,  he  always  conduckit  family  worship  once  a 
day  on  week  days  and  twice  on  Sabbath.  I 
said  to  him  it  was  his  duty,  and  he  did  it.  It 
would  be  nonsense  to  say  that  Grimond  was 
what  they  call  among  the  Cameronians  and  the 
Seceders  and  such  like  an  exercised  Christian, 
for  he  would  have  made  a  poor  show  with 
Simeon  MacQuittrick,  and  that  little  nest  of 
self-satisfied  and  meddling  bodies  which  sit  in 
judgment  on  St.  Jude's.  MacQuittrick  is  a  cat- 
witted  and  cantankerous  creature,  who  sees 
neither  to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left,  and 
will  walk  in  a  road  two  feet  broad  till  he  breaks 
his  neck  in  an  argument  over  a  precipice. 

"By  the  way,  Mr.  Carmichael,  Simeon  and 
his  friends  may  come  buzzing  round  you,  find- 
ing fault  with  your  best  sermons  and  asking 
questions  no  man  can  answer;  give  them  no 
more  mercy  than  you  would  to  wasps ;  they 
make  no  honey,  and  they  are  best  pleased  when 
they  are  stinging;  to  hear  them  speak  you  would 
159 


St.  Jude's 

think  that  no  person  was  ever  right  in  Scotland 
except  a  handful  of  Covenanters.  When  your 
blood  is  mixed  and  ye  mind  the  saints  in  all  the 
Kirks,  ye're  not  willing  to  be  shut  up  in  a  wasp's 
bike  for  your  religion.  Simeon  came  to  visit  me 
once;  I  said  I  would  be  glad  to  see  him  again, 
but  he  has  not  returned;  I  believe  he  calls  me 
Jezebel."  And  Mrs.  Grimond  seemed  much  re- 
freshed by  this  compliment  of  Simeon's. 

While  this  remarkable  woman  was  always 
willing  to  receive  the  minister,  and  while  she 
gave  him  an  enormous  amount  of  shrewd  ad- 
vice, she  always  demanded  a  professional  re- 
payment. When  she  had  answered  his  questions 
and  he  had  satisfied  her  demands,  her  Majesty 
then  composed  herself  suddenly  in  her  chair 
for  religious  exercises.  Leaning  back  in  the 
slightest  degree  and  veiling  the  keenness  of  her 
eyes  with  an  expression  of  solemnity,  she  would 
fold  her  hands  upon  her  lap,  and  address  Car- 
michael  in  an  artificially  softened  tone,  "Now 
that  is  enough  of  worldly  conversation  for  to- 
day ;  say  some  good  words  to  me,  and  con- 
clude with  prayer;  I  also  expect  the  Lord's 
1 60 


A  Ruler  in  Israel 

Prayer  and  the  benediction."  An  awful  silence 
followed,  and  Carmichael  used  to  tell  his  wife 
that  he  never  conducted  a  private  service  with 
such  restraint  and  difficulty.  Mrs.  Grimond  ex- 
pected an  exposition  of  Scripture  or  an  exhor- 
tation on  duty — she  did  not  care  which — and 
one  of  her  conditions  was  that  it  should  last  at 
least  ten  minutes ;  if  Carmichael  stopped  short 
of  that  time,  which  she  seemed  to  know  by  in- 
stinct, he  would  hear  her  murmur,  "More  good 
words,  if  you  please,  sir,  I  don't  like  short  meas- 
ure." He  was  also  aware  that  behind  this  be- 
coming mask  of  reverence  her  keen  intellect 
was  weighing  every  word  he  said,  and  her  cyni- 
cal humor  playing  around  him ;  that  any  want 
of  connection  in  his  little  address  or  anything 
like  sentiment  in  his  prayer  would  be  instantly 
detected  and  despised.  The  highest  praise  he 
could  hope  for  was,  "Very  clear  and  appropri- 
ate," and  she  might  perhaps  add,  "I  canna  bear 
thae  ministers  whose  expositions  are  a  rimble- 
ramble  of  disconnected  texts,  and  who  go  wan- 
dering in  their  prayers  through  all  the  countries 
o'  the  world.  'We  pray  for  London,  we  pray 
i6i 


St.  Jude's 

for  Paris,  we  pray  for  Rome/  havers  like  that 
because  the  man  doesn't  know  what  to  pray  for. 
'Lord  give  us  power,'  one  of  them  said,  'give  us 
power,  give  us  more  power;'  what  he  wanted 
was  ideas,  and  yet  he  would  forget  to  pray  for 
the  king."  When  Caimichael  suspected  that  he 
had  fallen  into  a  mood  of  heated  and  unhealthy 
sentiment,  he  found  no  better  cure  than  to  place 
himself  under  the  cold  spray  of  Mrs.  Grimond's 
remorseless  criticism,  but  there  were  times  when 
he  could  have  wished  that  her  keen  intellect 
had  been  softened  by  the  gentler  emotions. 

Her  family,  which  consisted  of  a  widowed 
daughter  approaching  seventy  years  of  age,  and 
her  daughters,  who  were  not  in  their  first 
youth,  would  not  have  complained  if  Mrs.  Gri- 
mond's hand  had  been  lighter,  and  the  house- 
hold regime  had  been  more  touched  by  senti- 
ment. It  was  inevitable  that  they  should  call  her 
grannie,  but  the  word,  which  suggests  weakness 
and  tenderness,  was  outrageously  unsuitable, 
for  Mrs,  Grimond  was  in  every  sense  of  the 
word  the  head  of  the  household.  She  used  to 
often  explain  that  her  daughter  had  been  a  dif- 
162 


A  Ruler  in  Israel 

ficult  child  to  rear,  and  that  she  had  no  claims 
to  her  own  admirable  constitution ;  she  was  pre- 
pared at  any  time  for  her  removal  in  what  she 
would  consider  comparatively  early  age,  and  her 
granddaughters  she  treated  as  absolute  children. 
Neither  mother  nor  daughters  were  allowed  a 
voice  or  a  share  in  family  affairs.  They  were 
only  her  messengers  and  assistants,  who  received 
instructions  and  carried  them  out  to  the  best 
of  their  ability,  which  Mrs.  Grimond  did  more 
than  hint  was  extremely  limited.  "My  daughter 
takes  from  her  father,  who  was  a  very  worthy 
man ;  yes,"  she  would  add  reflectively,  "a  worthy 
man,  and  in  many  ways  we  were  very  well  suited 
to  each  other."  From  which  you  were  left  to 
gather  that  the  late  Mr.  Grimond  had  not  been 
endowed  with  opulence  of  mind,  and  that  his 
wife  had  guided  him  through  the  affairs  of  life. 
"I  have  every  respect  for  his  memory,"  she 
would  sometimes  say,  "and  I  have  no  complaint 
of  my  married  life ;  there  are  women  who  need 
a  protector,  and  I  judge  no  widow  who  marries 
again,  but  I  have  seen  no  reason  to  change  my 
estate."  No  one  could  help  admiring  her  admir- 
163 


St.  Jude's 

able  courage  and  practical  capacity,  but  one 
was  bound  to  sympathize  with  her  family,  who 
were  reduced  to  the  condition  of  nonentities 
under  her  shadow.  She  retained  the  keys  of 
the  household  down  to  the  most  insignificant 
in  her  iron  grasp,  regarding  them  as  the  sceptre 
of  authority;  she  arranged  every  detail  of  the 
household  round  and  ordered  every  single  article 
which  came  into  the  home ;  she  sent  incisive 
messages  to  the  tradespeople,  and  overlooked 
the  servants  with  an  unfailing  eye.  The  little 
world  of  the  home  had  its  centre  in  that  arm- 
chair, and  before  its  occupant  every  one  trem- 
bled ;  nothing  went  on  she  did  not  know,  and 
nothing  was  allowed  she  did  not  approve.  While 
it  was  a  great  grief  to  her  that  she  did  not 
arrange  the  servants'  dresses,  she  dictated  to 
her  own  belongings  what  they  should  wear,  and 
would  infallibly  detect  the  smallest  independence 
of  personal  taste. 

Jupiter  himself  is   said   occasionally  to   nod, 

and  Mrs.  Grimond  had  one  sign  of  advanced 

years.    Her  eyesight  was  perfect,  and  her  hand 

as  steady  as   ever;  her  hearing  was   fearfully 

164 


A  Ruler  in  Israel 

good  when  anything  was  being  said  behind  her 
back;  and  she  had  still  a  firm  step.  Her  mem- 
ory, extending  over  such  a  long  range,  was 
amazing  in  its  accuracy,  but  she  sometimes  lost 
perspective  and  forgot  the  lapse  of  time,  imag- 
ining persons  in  the  early  and  later  periods  of 
her  life  to  be  contemporaries. 

"The  minister  of  the  parish  in  my  girlhood" — 
and  Mrs,  Grimond  allowed  herself  the  luxury 
of  reminiscence — "was  the  Rev.  Dr.  McLarty. 
He  was  a  tall  and  handsome  man,  who  did  not 
run  about  his  parish  like  a  bagman  selling  but- 
tons, or  a  tax-gatherer  collecting  the  poor  rate. 
Na,  na,  there  were  wiselike  clergymen  in  those 
days  who  knew  their  position  and  went  through 
their  parishes  like  lords.  His  word  was  law  in 
his  own  business.  And  why  not  ?  Isn't  it  reason 
that  if  a  doctor  gives  his  prescription,  and  the 
people  take  the  medicine,  that  when  a  minister 
tells  them  their  duty  they  should  do  it,  without 
arguing  ? 

"He  baptized  me,"  continued  Mrs.  Grimond, 
"and  he  heard  me  say  the  Catechism,  and  he 
would  speak  to  me  on  the  road.  'Well,  Jean,  is 
165 


St.  Jude's 

that  you ;  you  are  growing  a  big  girl ;  do  what 
the  Bible  tells  you  and  you'll  grow  up  to  be  a 
good  woman,  and  don't  forget  your  prayers, 
lassie.'  Then  he  would  take  a  pinch  of  snuff 
and  go  on  his  way  with  a  stately  walk  that  it 
was  a  pleasure  to  see.  I  never  forgot  what  he 
said,  Mr.  Carmichael ;  that  is  how  I've  come  to 
be  what  I  am."  And  Mrs.  Grimond  nodded 
with  great  complacency. 

"Aye,  and  he  married  me,  and  that  was  not 
yesterday,  for  I  was  just  twenty  the  month  be- 
fore. It  was  a  very  fine  ceremony,  and  he  gave 
Grimond  some  very  sound  advice,  which  I  used 
to  bring  from  time  to  time  to  his  mind.  He 
told  him  that  he  had  obtained  a  most  valuable 
gift  in  his  wife,  and  that  he  must  show  himself 
worthy  of  her;  that  he  must  work  hard  to  pro- 
vide a  respectable  home  for  her,  and  that  he 
would  never  regret  it  if  he  consulted  his  wife 
in  everything.  No  man  ever  had  the  marriage 
state  put  better  before  him  than  Grimond,  and 
I'm  bound  to  say  that  with  a  little  assistance 
from  me  he  discharged  his  duty.  Dr.  McLarty 
was  a  wise  man,  and  very  genial — oh,  aye,  he 
1 66 


A  Ruler  in  Israel 

could  unbend  on  a  proper  occasion.  After  the 
service  was  over  he  sat  down  at  the  breakfast, 
and  afore  a'  was  done  he  sang  the  Xaird  o' 
Cockpen ;'  that  was  his  custom  on  such  occa- 
sions, and  very  pleasant.  There's  a  time  to 
pray,  Mr.  Carmichael,  and  there's  a  time  to  sing, 
and  the  old  ministers  could  do  both,  and  they 
knew  when.  But  you  would  know  Dr.  McLarty 
yourself."  And  this  was  Mrs.  Grimond's  lapse. 
"He  would  be  about  your  time,  I  wouldna  say, 
but  he  might  be  at  college  with  you." 

As  Dr.  McLarty  had  had  the  honor  of  mar- 
rying Mrs.  Grimond  in  the  year  1805,  and  was 
then  a  gentleman  of  about  seventy  years  of  age, 
and  it  was  now  1880,  if  Carmichael  had  been  his 
college  contemporary,  the  minister  of  St.  Jude's 
would  have  occupied  a  premier  position  for  lon- 
gevity in  modem  times,  and  might  fairly  have 
claimed  a  place  with  the  fathers  before  the 
Flood.  When  he  delicately  explained  that  Dr. 
McLarty  was  somewhat  in  advance  of  him,  Mrs. 
Grimond  would  awake  to  the  sense  of  the  past 
and  adroitly  change  the  subject,  glancing  round 
to  see  whether  any  one  had  detected  this  slip. 
167 


St.  Jude's 

Her  hand  was  so  heavy  and  the  domestic 
world  suffered  so  much  from  the  unceasing 
change  of  servants,  who  came  hopefully  and 
departed  full  of  indignation  at  the  close  of  a 
month,  if  indeed  they  were  not  dismissed  on 
an  hour's  notice  by  this  unrelenting  despot,  that 
the  health  of  her  daughter  was  breaking  down, 
and  Carmichael  thought  it  his  duty  to  intervene. 
He  was  warned  that  it  was  taking  his  life  in  his 
hands,  and  that  notwithstanding  all  he  had  seen 
of  her  Majesty  and  all  he  had  heard  from  her 
lips,  he  had  no  idea  what  she  was  in  the 
sacred  department  of  family  government,  and 
with  what  feelings  she  regarded  an  intruder.  But 
he  was  young,  and  had  the  confidence  which  is 
rich  in  early  years,  and  departs  with  a  sadder 
experience  of  life ;  so  he  resolved  to  make  the 
venture,  and  he  arranged  in  his  own  mind  a 
method  of  cunning  diplomacy. 

"Well,  Mrs.  Grimond,"  after  she  had  given 
him  the  very  opportunity  he  desired  by  relating 
the  last  exasperating  incident  in  the  kitchen, 
"this  is  very  disappointing  and  worrying,  and  I 
quite  agree  with  you  that  the  servants  in  the 
i68 


A  Ruler  in  Israel 

city  to-day  are  not  what  the  servants  used  to  be 
in  the  country.  But,  my  dear  friend,  I  would 
not  vex  myself  about  those  girls  or  about  any- 
thing else ;  you  have  a  devoted  and  capable 
daughter,  to  say  nothing  of  your  grandchildren ; 
you  have  brought  them  up  with  great  care,  and 
I  know  how  grateful  they  are  to  you.  You  have 
borne  the  heat  and  burden  of  a  long  day,  and 
now  you  are  surely  entitled  to  a  little  rest.  If  I 
were  you  I  would  give  the  whole  charge  of  the 
house  into  their  hands,  and  then  you  will  have 
plenty  of  time  to  give  me  the  advice  I  need 
about  St.  Jude's,  and  to  do  any  kind  of  little 
work  which  you  like." 

"Do  I  understand  you  clearly,  Mr.  Car- 
michael?"  and  the  minister  did  not  quite  like  her 
accent.  "Is  it  your  advice  as  my  clergyman 
that  I  should  hand  over  my  keys  which  I  have 
held  since  the  day  I  was  married,  and  which 
are  lying  beside  me  in  this  basket,  and  let  this 
house  be  managed  by  my  daughter  and  those 
two  young  girls?  And  is  it  your  suggestion  that 
I  should  sit  here  and  never  know  what  those 
trimmies  are  doing  in  the  kitchen  or  how  they 
169 


St.  Judc's 

are  cleaning  out  the  bedrooms?  I  am  sorry  to 
have  to  ask  you,  but  I  would  like  to  know  in 
case  of  any  mistake  whether  that  is  what  you 
recommend. 

"Quite  so,  Mr.  Carmichael,"  when  Mrs.  Gri- 
mond  had  learned  the  worst,  "it  certainly  was 
what  you  said,  but  I  was  hoping  that  you  had 
meant  something  else ;  you  are  my  minister  and 
I  have  tried  to  give  you  such  imperfect  assist- 
ance as  was  in  my  power,  and  maybe  I  am  not 
saying  too  much  when  I  hold  that  I  have  helped 
you  with  your  work.  Perhaps  I  was  expecting 
too  much,  but  I  regarded  you  as  a  friend,  and 
one  who  would  uphold  my  just  position  in  all 
things  according  to  reason,  but  I  seem  to  have 
been  mistaken,  and  I  have  received  advice  I 
never  looked  for  from  my  own  minister.  It  is 
you,"  and  Mrs.  Grimond  let  her  indignation  go ; 
"you,  a  mere  laddie  born  yesterday,  and  who 
knows  nothing  worth  mentioning  of  life,  that 
would  tell  me  to  condescend  from  my  place  and 
hand  over  the  reins  to  those  young  things  who 
would  send  the  house  to  rack  and  ruin  in  a 
month.  And  for  myself,  I  suppose  you  would 
170 


A  Ruler  in  Israel 

wish  to  see  me  creeping  about  the  house  or  lying 
in  my  bed  a  dodderin'  old  body  whose  voice 
counts  for  nothing,  and  who  might  as  well  be 
dead.  They  will  get  my  keys  and  everything 
the  keys  signify  when  I  am  in  my  coffin,  and  not 
an  hour  sooner." 

"You  are  a  wonderful  woman,  Mrs.  Gri- 
mond,"  said  Carmichael,  making  a  strategic  re- 
treat, "and  you  were  born  to  be  a  queen.  You 
may  be  sure  I  will  never  make  any  suggestion 
about  the  keys  again,  but  there  is  one  thing  I 
would  like  to  ask,  and  that  is  who  made  that 
most  becoming  cap  which  you  are  wearing? 
For  I  never  saw  anything  suit  you  better;  the 
pink  of  the  ribbons  and  the  blossom  of  your 
complexion  exactly  correspond." 

"Do  ye  think  so?"  and  Mrs.  Grimond's  tone 
was  gentle  as  a  dove's.  "It's  curious  you  should 
ask  about  the  maker  of  the  cap,  and  I  suppose 
you're  imaginin'  that  it  came  from  the  grand 
shops  in  Buchanan  Street.  Would  you  be  aston- 
ished to  know  that  it  never  saw  the  inside  of  a 
shop,  and  that  I  made  every  bit  of  it  with  my 
own  hands?  Without  spectacles,  too,  if  you 
171 


St.  Jude's 

please,"  and  Mrs,  Grimond  smoothed  her 
rufifled  plumes  and  looked  the  picture  of  satisfac- 
tion. 

"Without  spectacles?  If  you  didn't  tell  me  I 
could  not  believe  it,  Mrs,  Grimond,"  and  the 
sin  of  Carmichael  was  wiped  out,  and  he  de- 
parted with  the  smile  of  royal  favor  following 
him.  "He  is  young,"  remarked  Mrs.  Grimond 
to  her  family  afterwards,  "and  has  some  fooHsh 
ideas,  as  young  people  have,  but  I  will  not  deny 
that  he  has  an  obsairvin'  eye." 


172 


Zbc  power  o!  tbe  Cbtib 


trbe  ipower  of  tbe  <Ibil& 

Among  the  personalities  in  St.  Jude's  Church 
was  one  who  stood  alone,  if  he  did  not  stand 
out,  and  who  had  a  place  of  distinction,  if  it  was 
not  freely  coveted.  While  he  was  rich,  there 
were  other  men  richer;  while  he  was  able  in 
affairs,  there  were  other  men  abler;  while  he 
was  a  regular  attender  at  worship  there  were 
others  as  regular ;  while  he  was  perfectly  respect- 
table  in  life  there  were  others  quite  as  respec- 
table. But  by  general  agreement  there  was  no 
one  so  thoroughly,  consistently,  perseveringly, 
ingeniously  mean.  He  was  the  hardest  man 
within  the  Church,  and  it  would  have  been  diffi- 
cult to  find  his  rival  within  the  city.  His  seat  rent 
he  paid  promptly,  but  refused  to  take  more  than 
one  sitting  at  the  end  of  a  pew,  and  on  one  occa- 
sion suggested  that  he  ought  to  receive  dis- 
count, because  he  did  not  take  a  little  credit  as 
other  seatholders  through  sheer  forgetfulness 
were  apt  to  do.  To  the  sustentation  fund,  the 
175 


St.  Jude's 

chief  effort  in  St,  Jude's,  he  sent  one  pound  a 
year  instead  of  fifty,  which  was  the  amount 
shrewd  financial  managers  assessed  him  at,  and 
when  a  moving  appeal  was  made  to  increase  the 
fund  and  to  raise  the  salaries  throughout  the 
land  on  account  of  the  increased  rate  of  living 
and  the  higher  scale  of  wages,  Murchieson  ad- 
mitted the  force  of  the  argument  and  raised 
his  contribution  from  one  pound  to  twenty-five 
shillings.  He  declined  in  opprobrious  terms  to 
give  anything  to  foreign  missions,  because  he 
believed  that  any  heathen  who  became  a  Chris- 
tian did  it  for  what  he  was  to  get,  and  he  would 
give  no  countenance  to  the  home  mission  enter- 
prise of  St.  Jude's,  because  he  argued  if  work- 
ingmen  would  give  up  drinking  and  general 
wasting  they  would  be  as  well  off  as  he  was,  and 
could  pay  for  sittings  for  themselves.  To  the 
daily  collection  he  gave  exactly  threepence,  at 
morning  service,  and  nothing  in  the  afternoon, 
and  he  was  known  to  have  changed  money  on 
the  road  to  church  upon  discovering  that  the 
smallest  coin  in  his  purse  was  a  sixpence.  His 
economy  outside  church  life,  through  long  prac- 
176 


The  Power  of  the  Child 

dee  and  the  exercise  of  an  acute  intellect, 
amounted  to  genius,  and  the  stories  about  his 
nearness  flew  from  mouth  to  mouth  in  the  city. 
How  he  would  go  out  of  his  way  and  deliver  a 
note  with  his  own  hands  to  save  the  penny 
stamp.  How  he  would  go  down  to  town  on  the 
top  of  a  'bus  and  with  a  stiff  neck  when  the  rain 
was  pouring,  to  save  an  extra  half-penny  for 
traveling  inside.  How  he  threatened  to  prose- 
cute a  mercantile  association  of  which  he  was  a 
member,  because  when  it  was  wound  up  the 
balance  was  handed  over  to  a  hospital — his  share 
being  thirteen  shillings  and  twopence-half- 
penny. How  he  sold  the  clothes  of  a  deceased 
elder  brother  to  a  pawnbroker,  and  how,  having 
obtained  a  few  geraniums  for  his  little  garden 
from  a  generous  neighbor,  he  disposed  of  them 
for  a  consideration  to  another  neighbor.  He  be- 
came in  course  of  time  the  model  and  standard 
of  parsimony,  so  that  men's  faces  lit  up  with 
cynical  amusement  at  his  appearing,  and  any 
new  meanness  was  instantly  assigned  to  Mur- 
chieson.  Round  him  gathered  an  anecdotage 
of  shabby  inventions  and  miserly  tricks. 
177 


St.  Jude*s 

It  was  exactly  the  type  of  character — cold, 
calculating,  ungenerous,  inhuman — which  of- 
fended and  irritated  Carmichael  beyond  every 
other;  and  among  other  foolish  things  the  min- 
ister said,  fortunately  only  in  private,  this  wild 
word,  that  he  had  more  hope  of  a  drunkard 
for  the  kingdom  of  God  than  of  a  miser,  and 
that  he  would  have  been  less  disgusted  if  he 
had  met  Murchieson  coming  home  from  a  Burns' 
dinner,  singing  aloud,  than  he  was  when  Mur- 
chieson objected  on  a  principle  of  management 
to  give  to  the  support  of  the  Royal  Infirmary. 
Murchieson  was  so  much  in  Carmichael's  mind 
that  he  became  an  offense  and  an  obsession. 
Generally  he  was  angry  with  the  old  man ;  occa- 
sionally he  was  sorry  for  him ;  he  was  always 
helpless  with  him.  From  his  place  at  the  end 
of  the  pew  he  stood  out  from  the  rest  of  the 
congregation,  hard,  gray,  forbidding,  like  a  jag- 
ged rock  emerging  from  the  dancing,  shining 
water,  and  exercised  a  paralyzing  influence  upon 
a  sensitive  preacher.  Any  argument  for  liber- 
ality was  shivered  to  pieces  on  that  iron  front, 
and  any  appeal  to  sentiment  withered  before 
178 


The  Power  of  the  Child 

that  contemptuous  eye.  Murchieson  got  upon 
the  minister's  nerves,  and  threatened  to  be  a 
blight  upon  his  speaking,  as  when  a  frost  nips 
the  apple-blossom.  As  often  as  he  used  an 
illustration  of  the  affections,  he  caught,  as  it 
were,  the  old  man  saying,  Balderdash,  and  as 
often  as  he  exalted  high  ideals  he  seemed  to 
hear  Murchieson's  cynical  chuckle.  When  he 
tried  to  climb  Murchieson  clutched  him  with  his 
lean  talon,  and  pulled  him  back  to  the  sordid 
commonplace,  and  he  dared  not  give  place  to  the 
mystical  even  for  a  minute  without  apologizing 
to  that  champion  of  realism.  Browbeaten  by  the 
tyranny  of  fact,  Carmichael  found  himself  com- 
mending Christianity  on  grounds  of  profit  and 
loss,  and  eulogizing  godliness  because  it  con- 
duced to  thrift  and  the  accumulation  of  capital. 
When  Carmichael  started  his  holiday  scheme,  by 
which  the  children  of  the  city  were  to  get  a  fort- 
night in  the  country,  he  offered  a  private  and 
cowardly  petition  in  his  secret  devotions  that 
Jacob  Murchieson  should  be  absent  that  morn- 
ing from  church — not  seriously  ill,  but  detained 
by  a  cold  in  his  head.  It  was  not  answered. 
179 


St.  Jude's 

Jacob  never  had  colds,  being  as  impervious  to 
the  weather  as  he  was  to  emotion,  and  objected 
on  principle  to  all  illness,  because  it  lent  itself 
to  doctors'  bills  and  hindered  from  business.  Of 
course  he  was  in  his  place,  more  visible  and 
assertive,  more  unsympathetic  and  scornful, 
more  commanding  and  vigilant  than  ever.  Dur- 
ing the  Psalm  before  sermon,  Carmichael  was 
much  tossed  in  his  mind,  and  knew  not  what 
to  do.  With  Murchieson's  eye  upon  the  pulpit 
like  the  artillery  of  a  fortress  trained  upon  some 
poor  trading-vessel,  how  could  one  even  dare 
to  mention  so  unmercantile  and  unprofitable  a 
scheme  as  country  holidays  for  city  children, 
and  what  spirit  could  one  have  to  ask  for  solid 
silver  on  the  basis  of  such  feeble  sentiment? 

As  he  spoke  he  imagined  Murchieson's 
running  commentary,  and  the  points  that  he 
would  triumphantly  make.  Why  didn't  the  par- 
ents themselves  pay  for  their  children's  holi- 
days, and  what  did  poor  people  mean  by  having 
so  many  children  ?  He  was  not  a  poor  man,  but 
he  had  never  seen  his  way  to  marry,  and  if  he 
had  no  time  or  money  to  waste  on  such  a  lux- 
i8o 


The  Power  of  the  Child 

ury,  much  less  had  a  man  on  five-and-twenty 
shillings  a  week.  If  the  brats  were  sent  from 
home  and  let  loose  in  the  country,  they  would 
get  into  more  mischief  even  than  in  the  city,  and 
being  beyond  control  would  be  certain  to  do 
damage  to  property.  Would  not  the  sight  of  the 
children  going  for  a  whole  fortnight  on  holiday 
excite  vain  thoughts  in  the  minds  of  their  par- 
ents, and  suggest  that  they  should  have  more 
holidays?  The  next  thing  would  be  that  work- 
ingmen  would  be  wishing  to  spend  a  fortnight 
in  the  country,  and  when  that  day  came  national 
ruin  was  not  far  off.  As  for  himself,  he  took 
New-year's  day,  and  that  was  more  than  suffi- 
cient, and  he  always  regarded  the  Bank  holidays 
as  a  personal  grievance.  Would  it  not  be  far 
better  for  children  to  be  working,  and  so  learn 
habits  of  industry?  Was  not  all  this  foolish 
nonsense  about  recreation  just  a  premium  upon 
laziness  ?  Why  should  anybody  have  holidays  ; 
wasn't  Sabbath  enough  time  for  resting?  And 
why  should  he  have  to  pay  for  other  people's 
holidays  when  he  had  to  scrape  in  order  to  get 
his  own  living — "scraping"  was  Jacob's  favorite 
i8i 


St.  Jude's 

description  of  his  business  toil  ?  Had  preachers 
no  knowledge  of  life,  and  was  the  pulpit  to  be 
forever  a  fountain  of  washy  sentiment  and  dele- 
terious twaddle? 

Carmichael  already  shivered  and  began  to 
lose  heart  as  he  felt  the  cold  spray  of  utility 
falling  on  his  poor  words,  and  the  heat  being 
frozen  out  of  them.  As  a  man  hot  in  temper  and 
impatient  with  meanness,  he  was  tempted  to 
strike  out  and  denounce  the  Murchieson  type, 
so  as  to  secure  an  emotion  of  indignation,  if  he 
could  not  sustain  an  emotion  of  compassion.  If 
he  had  yielded  to  this  impulse,  as  too  often  he 
did,  the  sermon  would  have  been  a  masterpiece 
of  sarcasm,  tickling  the  congregation  like  mus- 
tard upon  the  palate,  and  hardening  Jacob  into 
adamant,  and  doing  not  the  slightest  good.  For- 
tunately his  mind,  lying  open  to  the  breath 
of  God's  Spirit,  was  blown  in  another  di- 
rection, and  he  looked  on  Murchieson  through 
the  medium  of  a  gentler  atmosphere.  A  feel- 
ing of  genuine  sorrow  swept  over  his  mind 
for  an  old  man  who  had  come  to  seventy  years 
of  age  and  had  never  known  the  sweetness  of 
182 


The  Power  of  the  Child 

love,  who  was  out  of  touch  with  children,  and  a 
stranger  to  kindness,  to  whom  life  was  nothing 
else  than  a  weary  grind  and  purposeless  money- 
making.  The  sight  of  Murchieson  that  day  in- 
stead of  irritating,  gentled  Carmichael,  and  gave 
to  his  speech  that  accent  of  compassion  which 
arrests  and  conciliates  and  conquers  the  most 
indifferent  hearers.  When  he  unfolded  his 
scheme  for  giving  a  happy  time  in  the  country 
to  poor  bairns,  and  described  the  result  of  a 
private  experiment  made  the  year  before,  the 
congregation  was  distinctly  touched,  and  if 
Carmichael  had  been  asking  the  money  by  an 
offertory  he  would  suddenly  have  closed  his  ser- 
mon at  a  certain  point  five  minutes  before  the 
terminus.  When  hard-headed,  unemotional  men 
stare  fixedly  at  the  roof  of  the  church  or  fall 
victims  to  a  violent  cold  in  the  head,  before  the 
preacher's  eyes,  if  there  be  any  practical  wisdom 
in  him,  he  will  fling  over  two  fetching  illustra- 
tions and  the  most  finished  of  perorations  and 
send  round  the  bags.  When  the  tide  is  at  its 
height  is  the  time  to  make  for  the  harbor.  It 
seemed  to  him,  as  he  was  speaking,  that  even 
183 


St.  Jude's 

Murchieson  looked  less  glacial  than  usual,  and 
in  the  evening  he  hugged  the  thought,  though 
he  considered  it  pure  fancy,  that  Murchieson  at 
that  moment  had  nearly  broken  down.  It  was  of 
course  pure  fancy,  but  pleasant  to  dwell  upon, 
like  the  visions  of  Utopia  or  the  prophecies  of 
the  millennium. 

That  master  of  economy  was  so  much  in  the 
minister's  thoughts  that  he  was  not  absolutely 
surprised  when  Murchieson  called  on  him  next 
morning,  and  he  was  still  so  affected  by  his  play 
of  fancy  that  Carmichael  asked  his  wife,  before 
going  into  the  study,  how  much  she  thought 
Jacob  would  give  to  the  children's  holiday  fund. 
Kate,  with  more  shrewdness  than  charity,  de- 
clared her  belief  that  the  visitor  had  come  to 
remonstrate  with  the  minister  on  account  of  this 
new  fad,  which  would  only  pauperize  the  people, 
and  her  conviction  that,  if  for  a  wonder  he 
gave  anything,  the  furthest  limit  would  be  two- 
and-sixpence.  She  also  freely  described  him 
as  a  disgitsting  old  skinflint,  and  suggested  that 
her  husband  should  deal  with  him  as  he  deserved, 
and  that  she  would  be  glad  afterwards  to  hear 
184 


The  Power  of  the  Child 

his  adjectives.  Which  was  only  one  out  of  a 
hundred  proofs  that  Kate  was  not  a  model  wife 
for  a  minister,  but  that  is  the  story  I  should 
Hke  to  tell  some  other  day.  Carmichael  was 
still  under  the  glow  of  yesterday,  and  in  a  fit 
of  enthusiasm  assessed  Jacob  at  ten  shillings. 

"Ye  no  doubt  are  aware,  Mr.  Carmichael," 
began  Jacob,  with  the  briefest  preliminaries  of 
courtesy,  which  he  always  regarded  as  a  waste 
of  time,  "that  I  have  little  sympathy  with  what 
are  called  missionary  and  philanthropic  schemes. 
The  one-half  of  them  are  got  up  to  pay  officials, 
who  go  about  the  country  havering  to  fifty  old 
women  at  a  public  meeting,  and  who  had  better 
be  earning  their  living  as  clerks  at  two  pounds  a 
week.  And  the  other  half  exist  to  keep  shiftless 
folk  in  idleness,  who  are  fonder  of  singing 
hymns  than  working  with  their  hands.  When  I 
think  o'  the  money  that's  been  given  to  convert 
the  Jews,  I  canna  help  laughing ;  it's  positively 
facetious.  I'm  told  that  there's  a  new  society 
started  by  three  ministers  and  seven  old  maids 
to  provide  spectacles  and  false  teeth  for  people 
out  of  work.  I'm  not  a  subscriber  myself,  and 
185 


St.  Jude's 

when  one  of  the  collectors  called  on  me  I  gave 
her  my  judgment,  politely,  of  course.  But  that 
is  neither  here  nor  there,  and  that  is  not  what 
I  called  about."  Carmichael  was  relieved  to  hear 
that  this  was  not  the  object  of  Jacob's  visit,  but 
he  was  not  specially  encouraged  by  the  opening. 

"Well,  ye  see,"  resumed  Murchieson,  "in 
ordinary  circumstances,  and  acting  on  general 
principles,  I  would  not  be  inclined  to  look  favor- 
ably on  that  holiday  proposal,  but  there  are  one 
or  two  points  I  didna  dislike,  especially  the  plan 
o'  the  parents  giving  so  much  themselves.  So  I 
called  to  get  some  information  on  details,  and 
if  I  am  satisfied — for  I  make  that  condition — I 
might  not  be  averse  to  consider  the  question  of 
contributing,  say  ten  shillings." 

Carmichael,  cheered  by  this  wintry  sunshine, 
and  anxious  to  approach  Jacob  upon  the  more 
susceptible  side  of  his  mind,  plunged  into  facts 
and  figures. 

"Every   child,"  and     Carmichael     addressed 

Murchieson  as  if  he  were  a  public  meeting,  "will 

be  selected  six  months  before  the  time,  and  the 

pence   of   the  parents   will  be    collected  every 

1 86 


The  Power  of  the  Child 

week;  they  will  be  expected  to  have  the  child 
clean  and  decent  when  the  time  comes,  and 
every  child  will  be  examined  by  a  doctor.  Ladies 
in  the  country  will  select  the  homes,  and  will  see 
that  they  are  healthy  and  respectable;  they  will 
also  receive  the  children  and  supervise  them 
when  they  are  in  the  country.  The  cost  of  board, 
including  milk,  will  be  six-and-sixpcnce  a  week, 
which  makes  thirteen  shillings;  the  railway  com- 
panies are  to  give  special  rates,  which  will  aver- 
age one-and-ninepence,  and  adding  threepence 
for  general  expenses,  you  have  fifteen  shillings, 
which  will  be  the  total  cost  per  child  for  a  fort- 
night's hoHday."  As  Carmichael  spoke,  he 
knew  that  he  was  clear,  but  he  also  felt  that  he 
was  not  effective  and  that  somehow  he  was 
missing  the  mark.  Murchieson  had  listened  at- 
tentively, but  did  not  seem  to  have  been  im- 
pressed or  carried  forward;  he  was  willing  to 
criticise,  as  a  matter  of  course,  but  gave  Car- 
michael the  impression  that  he  was  waiting  for 
other  arguments. 

"Your  arrangements  seem  wiselike ;  ye  might 
possibly  get  the  board  in  the  country  reduced  to 
187 


St.  Jude's 

six  shillings,  but  the  danger  in  that  case  would 
be  watering  the  milk,  which  is  undesirable.  If 
ye  got  a  large  trader  to  tackle  the  railway 
people  I  wouldna  say  but  that  they  would  knock 
a  penny  or  maybe  three  ha'pennies  off  the  return 
fare.  But  I  reserve  judgment  on  those  particu- 
lars, and  I  will  hear  you  to  the  end."  Then  it 
came  to  Carmichael,  and  he  counted  it  an  inspir- 
ation, like  that  of  yesterday,  that  he  might  take 
Jacob  more  successfully  by  surprise,  as  a  fort- 
ress is  often  captured  on  its  strongest  side.  So 
he  threw  figures  and  committees  to  the  wind 
and  laid  out  the  human  side  before  his  visitor. 
"Very  likely  you  are  right,  Mr.  Murchieson, 
and  I  will  mention  any  suggestions  you  give  to 
the  committee,  for  I  am  not  an  adept  in  busi- 
ness affairs.  It  is  the  contrast  between  the  slum 
of  the  city  and  the  joy  of  the  country  which,  I 
confess,  has  touched  my  heart,  for  I  am  a 
countryman ;  I  love  its  hills  and  glens,  its  fields 
and  flowers,  its  running  burns  and  hedgerows 
with  the  honeysuckle  and  the  roses  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  hawthorn.  With  that  vision  before 
my  eyes,  and  the  sweet  smell  of  the  country  in 
i88 


The  Power  of  the  Child 

my  nostrils,  I  go  into  a  court  of  the  city  and 
I  see  a  child  living,  or,  rather,  dying,  in  a  house 
of  a  single  room,  without  air  and  without  sun, 
and  playing  in  a  dirty  court  instead  of  on  the 
grass,  and  beside  a  gutter  instead  of  a  stream  of 
clean  water.  When  they  make  a  toy  out  of  a 
tin  box,  and  trail  it  along  the  noisome  court, 
making  believe  it's  a  cart,  and  sail  a  little  stick 
in  a  dirty  puddle,  I  feel  that  they  are  children, 
too,  and  that  they  have  never  had  a  chance  of 
child-life." 

For  the  moment  he  had  forgotten  himself  and 
his  environments,  but  now  he  started  and  looked 
around,  expecting  to  see  a  sneer  on  his  visitor's 
face,  and  to  be  crushed  by  some  contemptuous 
reference  to  the  improvidence  of  the  poor.  But 
Murchieson  did  not  seem  inclined  to  mock  or  to 
argue ;  you  would  have  almost  said  that  he  was 
concerned  and  touched,  if  you  had  seen  his  face, 
while  the  minister  gave  his  brief  etching  of  child 
misery  in  a  city.  When  Carmichael  finished  and 
turned  almost  in  deprecation,  Murchieson  waited 
to  see  if  he  had  more  to  say,  and  when  noth- 
ing came,  he  took  up  the  talking. 
189 


St.  Jude's 

"Put  mc  down  for  a  pound." 

There  was  a  decision  in  the  tone  and  an  ex- 
pression on  the  face  which  arrested  and  en- 
couraged Carmichael.  Perhaps  it  was  spring- 
time for  Jacob,  and  the  winter  was  going  to 
pass.  Who  knew  but  that  a  work  of  grace  had 
begun  in  the  old  man's  heart,  and  that  he  also 
was  a  son  of  Abraham  ?  It  was  worth  trying,  at 
any  rate,  so  the  minister  started  afresh. 

"We  had  an  experiment  last  year,  and  it 
would  have  pleased  you  to  see  how  the  ex- 
pectation of  the  holiday  blessed  those  homes  of 
poverty.  The  children  who  were  chosen  to  go 
worked  hard  at  school,  and  were  always  talking 
about  the  flowers  they  had  never  seen,  and  their 
mothers  did  their  little  best  to  get  their  clothes 
ready  and  put  them  in  decent  repair.  They  also 
set  themselves  to  clean  their  houses  and  to  make 
themselves  more  tidy,  so  as  to  be  in  keeping 
with  the  children.  They  were  wild  with  anxiety 
that  their  bairns  should  not  be  put  to  shame  by 
others,  because  they  were  dirty  and  ragged.  We 
saw  that  every  child  had  some  sort  of  a  modest 
outfit,  and  you  may  laugh  at  me,  Mr.  Murchie- 
190 


The  Power  of  the  Child 

son,  for  I  must  take  the  blame  for  this  fooHsh- 
ness,  but  we  gathered  some  old  toys,  that  they 
might  take  them  to  the  country — ^boats  for  the 
boys  and  dolls  for  the  girls — and  I  collected 
myself  a  dozen  old  parasols,  for  the  lassies,  you 
know."  He  had  no  sooner  said  parasol  than 
Carmichael  trembled,  for  he  felt  that  his  case 
was  lost.  The  idea  of  the  economist  supporting 
a  scheme  which  embraced  the  provision  of  para- 
sols for  slum  girls,  even  although  the  parasols 
cost  nothing,  was  quite  preposterous.  But  Mur- 
chieson  neither  jeered  nor  protested;  as  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  Carmichael  had  never  seen  him  look 
so  gracious  before. 

"Make  it  five,"  said  Jacob,  and  Carmichael 
knew  for  certain  that  the  wind  of  heaven  was 
with  him,  and  that  he  must  not  miss  his  oppor- 
tunity. 

"You  should  have  seen  the  little  band  go  off 
from  the  station  last  July,  with  their  luggage — 
I  shall  never  forget  that — in  band-boxes  and 
paper  bags  and  fruit  baskets  and  soap  boxes, 
but  each  one  was  as  proud  as  Punch  of  his  be- 
longings. And  every  bairn  as  clean  as  a  brass 
191 


St.  Jude's 

pin,  and  every  bit  of  clothes  well  brushed  and 
darned.  If  you'd  seen  the  care  the  lassies  took 
of  their  parasols  and  the  laddies  of  their  boats 
and  balls  and  bats  and  other  clamjamery !  Every 
mother  was  there  with  one  or  two  relatives  to 
see  the  expedition  off.  They  gave  something 
like  a  cheer,  you  bet,  as  the  train  began  to  move, 
and  I  declare  you  would  have  thought  that  the 
look  of  cunning  and  of  hardness  had  passed 
from  the  faces  of  those  city  Arabs,  as  if  the  dis- 
tant breath  of  the  country  were  already  touching 
them.  Mr.  Murchieson,"  said  Carmichael,  with 
fearsome  hardihood,  "you  would  have  liked  to 
be  there." 

"I  should,"  said  Jacob,  with  unmistakable  de- 
cision, "make  it  ten." 

There  was  no  doubt  now  that  salvation  had 
come  to  Murchieson,  and  Carmichael,  licking  his 
lips,  started  off  afresh. 

"When  the  bairns  were  half  way  through  their 
holiday  I  went  down  to  see  them,  and  I  count 
that  the  best  trip  I  have  had  for  many  a  year. 
As  I  climbed  the  road  from  the  station  someone 
called  me  by  name  from  the  overhanging  bank, 
192 


The  Power  of  the  Child 

and,  looking  up,  behold,  four  lassies  from  our 
mission-school.  They  were  flushed  with  health 
and  browned  by  the  sun  and  full  of  innocent  joy. 
One  had  a  necklace  of  buttercups,  that  had 
taken  hours  to  make,  another  had  a  coronet 
of  wild  roses,  the  third  had  a  bunch  of  flowers 
she  was  taking  back  as  a  present  to  her  country 
mother  in  the  cottage  where  she  lived,  and  the 
fourth  had  dug  up  some  primrose  roots  which 
were  going  back  to  the  city  with  her.  'Isn't  this 
grand,  maister  Carmichael?'  and  she  threw  me 
down  a  spray  of  honeysuckle." 

"I  mind  the  honeysuckle  on  the  road  I  gae'd 
to  schule,"  remarked  Murchieson.  "I'm  no  sure 
that  I've  seen  honeysuckle  since  that  day;  at 
ony  rate,  I  never  noticed  it." 

"Where  do  you  think  I  found  the  laddies?" 
cried  Carmichael  in  triumph,  for  he  knew  now 
that  principalities  and  powers  in  the  heavenly 
places  were  with  him,  and  that  Jacob  had  been 
given  as  a  spoil  into  his  hands.  "Of  course  at 
the  burn  side,  and  they  were  in  their  glory  doing 
themselves  proud  to  the  top  hole.  Some  of 
them  were  busy  on  a  dam  and  I  tell  you  pretty 
193 


St.  Jude's 

tidy  work.  Poor  little  chaps,  they  are  going  to 
be  men  of  their  hands  when  they  get  a  chance. 
Others  had  made  a  harbor  farther  up  for  their 
boats,  and  they  were  loading  them  with  gravel 
for  corn  and  sailing  them  down  the  dam  from 
America  to  Scotland.  Every  little  scamp  was 
as  fresh  as  a  daisy,  and  when  I  saw  them  work- 
ing in  that  pure,  wholesome  water,  I  assure  you, 
Mr.  Murchieson,  I  nearly  cried  for  joy,  and  I 
thanked  God  that  they  were  having  fourteen 
days  of  the  burn  instead  of  the  gutter.  But 
maybe  you're  laughing  at  me  for  my  foolish- 
ness." 

"I'm  not,"  said  Jacob  fiercely ;  "how  dare  you 
say  that  to  me!  There  was  a  burnie  round  by 
my  mother's  cottage,  but  it's  mair  than  fifty  year 
sin'  I  biggit  a  dam.  Make  it  twenty." 

"That  afternoon,"  resumed  Carmichael,  "the 
whole  caboodle  went  off  for  an  expedition  in 
some  carts  a  good-natured  farmer  gave,  and 
there's  no  use  telling  lies,  Mr.  Murchieson,  I 
went  with  them,  and  was  the  worst  laddie  of 
the  gang.  Half  of  us  garrisoned  an  old  castle 
in  a  wood,  and  the  other  half  tried  to  take  it 
194 


The  Power  of  the  Child 

from  us,  and  we  had  flags  and  guns  and  two  tin 
trumpets  and  an  old  drum,  and  I  had  a  cocked 
hat  made  out  of  paper,  for  I  was  general-in- 
command.  The  lassies  played  in  the  wood  at 
ring-around-a-rosy,  and  had  their  skipping-ropes 
and  the  other  things  the  lassies  love,  besides 
washing  their  dolls'  clothes  in  the  burn  at  the 
castle  foot.  We  had  milk  and  bread-and-jam  for 
our  tea,  and  went  home  singing  in  the  carts 
when  the  sun  was  hastening  westwards.  Then 
the  laddies  brought  home  the  cows  and  the  las- 
sies helped  to  milk  them,  and  when  I  left  to 
catch  the  night  train  the  last  thing  I  saw  was 
the  bairns  sound  asleep  in  clean  homely  beds, 
with  the  fresh  air  blowing  in  through  the  open 
windows,  and  their  faces  red  with  health,  as  if 
the  hand  of  the  Lover  of  little  children  had 
wiped  away  all  the  grime  of  the  city  from  their 
cheeks,  as  well  as  the  sin  of  the  city  from  their 
souls." 

"Make  it  fifty,"  shouted  Murchieson,  who 
was  much  excited,  "and  a  pound  extra  to  buy 
peppermint-rock." 

"To  buy  what?"  said  Carmichael,  who  now 
195 


St.  Jude's 

thought  that  either  Murchieson  or  he  was  taking 
leave  of  his  senses. 

"Man !  div  ye  not  know  what  peppermint- 
rock  is  ?  There's  naething  Hke  it,  though  its  lang 
sin  I  tasted  it.  I'll  have  some  this  verra  day.  And 
look  ye  here,  Mr.  Carmichael,  ye  want  to  send 
a  thousand  bairns  next  summer,  but  you're 
afraid  about  the  cash ;  pick  your  thousand,  and 
I'll  underwrite  the  company.  Tell  me  how  much 
is  needed  above  the  fifty  when  ye  go  to  allot- 
ment." And  Murchieson  departed  hurriedly  and 
marched  down  the  street  as  if  there  was  a  band 
in  front. 

"When  he  ordered  that  rock,  Kate,  I  knew 
that  the  grace  of  God  was  exceeding  abundant 
in  the  heart  of  Jacob  Murchieson,"  said  John 
Carmichael  with  emphasis,  for  he  also  had  his 
weaknesses.  "This  is  the  beginning  of  a  time; 
we  have  not  heard  the  last  of  Jacob." 

He  was  right,  for  curious  stories  began  to  cir- 
culate about  Murchieson.  That  he  had  increased 
the  salaries  of  his  ofifice  staff,  and  sent  one  young 
fellow  who  had  been  ill  away  for  a  long  voy- 
age. That  he  had  undertaken  the  charge  of  the 
196 


The  Power  of  the  Child 

widows  and  children  of  two  firemen  who  had 
fallen  in  the  discharge  of  duty.  That  he  had 
given  a  thousand  pounds  to  the  building  of  the 
children's  infirmary,  and  promised  another  thou- 
sand if  they  cleared  off  the  debt.  That  the  col- 
lection at  St.  Jude's  had  a  sovereign  every 
morning  in  the  plate,  and  that  the  poor  fund 
had  been  put  in  a  condition  of  thorough  repair. 
He  offered  no  explanation  and  he  made  no 
boast,  but  every  month  he  fed  the  wonder  by 
some  unexpected  charity.  "He  is  not  himself ; 
he  must  be  going  crazy,"  said  a  merchant  who 
had  had  dealings  in  his  day  with  Jacob,  and 
despaired  of  any  reasonable  solution  of  the  mys- 
tery. "It's  the  first  time  that  he  has  been  him- 
self, I  would  say,"  replied  Carmichael.  "This 
is  the  real  Murchieson,  only  we  didn't  know  him 
before,  and  he  didn't  know  himself." 


197 


IHer  flnarrtage  Da^ 


Wer  tnarrtaae  Dai? 

Telegrams  from  China  in  those  days  of  revo- 
lution and  anarchy  were  short  and  confused 
and  as  often  as  not  contradictory  and  unintel- 
ligible. Although  the  name  of  Agnes  Durham 
had  appeared  in  the  first  list  of  Christian  mar- 
tyrs, Carmichael,  with  his  incurable  optimism, 
had  refused  to  accept  the  news  as  final,  and 
found  fifty  cogent  reasons  for  hope.  Had  she 
not  gone  out  only  two  years  ago  in  the  fresh- 
ness of  her  young  womanhood  to  serve  as  a 
nurse  in  the  mission,  and  could  it  be  in  the  will 
of  Providence  to  close  her  career  so  untimely? 

The  mission  had  never  been  attacked  before, 
and  did  such  excellent  work  for  the  sick  of  that 
most  needy  city,  Chew-whang,  that  even  the 
most  fanatical  of  anti-Christians  must  have  been 
grateful  and  had  a  good  will  towards  the  hospi- 
tal. Were  not  the  missionaries  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  English  power,  if  not  under  the  cover 
of  the  English  flag,  and  would  any  one  dare  to 


St.  Jude*s 

insult  the  majesty  of  Great  Britain  by  doing  to 
death  her  unoffending  citizens?  As  for  the 
rumors,  they  were  only  the  offspring  of  a  trou- 
bled time,  the  flying  dust  stirred  up  by  the  wild 
movements  of  the  insurrection,  or  they  were  the 
reckless  invention  of  an  unscrupulous  and  low- 
class  press,  which  was  willing  to  make  money 
out  of  tortured  minds  and  broken  hearts.  He 
was  absolutely  certain  that  the  mission  and  all 
within  the  walls  were  as  safe  as  St.  Jude's 
Church  and  its  congregation,  and  he  was  per- 
sonally looking  for  a  letter  from  Agnes,  giving 
them  picturesque  accounts  of  the  riot  and  their 
escape  and  all  the  wonderful  things  she  had 
seen,  and  all  the  service  she  had  rendered  to 
sick  and  wounded  men.  Carmichael  even  allowed 
his  fancy  to  play  round  the  event,  and  imag- 
ined the  mission  protected  from  the  mob  by  de- 
voted Chinamen,  who  were  grateful  for  past 
help,  and  said  they  would  rather  die  than  allow 
a  hair  of  the  missionaries'  heads  to  be  touched. 
One  afternoon,  as  he  paced  his  study  and  gave 
the  reins  to  his  Celtic  enthusiasm,  he  already  be- 
held in  vision  the  people  of  Chew-whang,  touched 


Her  Marriage  Day 

to  the  heart  by  the  courage  and  charity  of  the 
mission,  coming  into  the  Christian  Church  by 
the  thousand  together.  In  all  this  a  large  share 
of  the  glory  was  assigned  to  the  young  woman 
who  had  suddenly  broken  the  even  tenor  of 
her  life  and  devoted  herself  to  the  high  enter- 
prise of  the  Church  in  the  regions  beyond,  and 
was  the  only  representative  of  St,  Jude's  in  the 
foreign  field.  The  minister  used  to  complete  his 
romance  by  bringing  Agnes  home  for  furlough 
after  the  trying  experiences  of  the  rebellion,  and 
arranging  a  welcome  meeting  at  St.  Jude's  which 
was  to  exceed  anything  ever  known  in  the  his- 
tory of  that  distinguished  church  for  the  mag- 
nificence of  the  attendance  and  the  wildness  of 
the  enthusiasm.  And  then  Agnes  would  by-and- 
by  return  to  China  with  a  band  of  young  women 
who  had  caught  the  infection  of  her  spirit  and 
given  the  last  pledge  of  devotion  to  the  Cross  of 
Christ.   It  would  be  an  epoch  in  missions. 

As  the   mists  roll  off  the  mountainside,   so 

wi.ere    Carmichael's   day-dreams    dispelled,    and 

he  had  been  forced  to  face  the  facts.    Long  ago 

it  had  been  placed  beyond  doubt  that  the  lonely 

203 


St.  Jude's 

mission  premises  had  been  sacked  by  the  Reb- 
els, and  the  helpless  little  band  of  missionaries, 
men  and  women,  put  to  death.  They  had  held 
a  memorial  service  at  St.  Jude's  and  had  re- 
turned thanks  for  the  triumphant  death  of  the 
martyrs  with  such  a  lift  of  heart  that  some 
of  the  sect  of  the  Pharisees,  such  as  Simeon  Mac- 
Quittrick,  had  declared  that  it  was  little  better 
than  praying  for  the  dead ;  and  Carmichael  had 
so  magnified  the  ruby  crown  of  martyrdom  that, 
although  no  one  present  offered  there  and  then 
to  go  out  to  China,  several  men  who  were  trying 
to  do  good  work  in  their  own  city  did  it  more 
bravely  for  years  to  come.  The  congregation 
commemorated  her  death  by  a  painted  window, 
so  that  every  worshiper  in  St.  Jude's,  when  he 
lifted  his  eyes  toward  the  pulpit,  could  see  her 
gentle  and  spiritual  face  as  she  walked  in  white, 
following  her  Lord,  in  the  higher  ministry ;  and 
Mr.  Murchieson,  who  had  a  little  earlier  obtained 
salvation  through  the  service  of  little  children, 
recanted  all  his  prejudices  against  foreign  mis- 
sions and  erected  at  his  own  cost  a  hospital  to 
the  glory  of  God  and  the  memory  of  Agnes 
204 


Her  Marriage  Day 

Durham  in  the  city  of  Chew-whang,  while  a 
new  standard  of  unselfishness  and  heroism  was 
unconsciously  set  to  the  body  of  the  people.  Her 
years  were  not  many  and  her  work  was  not 
long,  and  it  seemed  a  tragedy  that  a  young  life 
full  of  promise  should  have  been  so  cruelly 
closed.  But  every  life  must  be  judged  by  the 
long  result,  and  one  who  dies  at  twenty-five 
may  have  wrought  greater  works  than  one  who 
has  lived  to  threescore  years  and  ten.  There 
was  another  expression  upon  the  faces  of  her 
father  and  mother,  and  a  new  flavor  of  un- 
worldliness  in  their  lives ;  one  of  her  brothers 
entered  the  ministry,  and  another  has  given 
richly  of  his  time  and  substance  to  social  work. 
One  sister  is  a  missionary's  wife  in  Africa,  and 
another  is  the  head  of  a  settlement  in  London, 
and  all  these  things  have  come  to  pass  because 
she  loved  not  her  life  unto  the  death,  but  laid 
it  down  for  His  dear  sake  and  for  suffering 
women. 

The  letter  from  the  English  Consul  contain- 
ing the   information  he  collected  when  he  re- 
turned to  the  city  lies  upon  Carmichael's  desk, 
205 


St.  Jude's 

and  he  is  reading  again  certain  sentences  which 
are  engraven,  not  on  his  memory,  but  on  his 
heart  to  this  day. 

"The  mission  staff,  according  to  the  testi- 
mony of  reliable  witnesses,  behaved  with  re- 
markable heroism,  and  showed  a  spirit  of  self- 
abnegation  which  is  beyond  words.  ...  As 
soon  as  the  danger  was  realized  they  had  re- 
moved the  children  from  the  school  and  as  many 
of  the  sick  as  could  leave  their  beds  to  a  place 
of  safety  in  the  country The  doc- 
tor and  two  nurses  remained  with  the  patients, 
mostly  women  who  could  not  be  moved.  When 
the  rioters  forced  the  gates  of  the  mission  the 
three  missionaries  presented  themselves  in  order 
to  divert  attention  from  the  hospital  ward,  where 
the  sick  were  lying.  .  .  .  They  were  offered 
the  choice  of  denying  their  religion  and  blas- 
pheming the  name  of  Jesus  or  instant  death. 
According  to  the  account  which  was  corrobo- 
rated by  certain  of  the  Rebels  themselves,  they 
began  to  sing,  'J^sus,  Master,  Whose  I  Am,' 
and  they  had  not  finished  the  first  verse  before 
they  were  all  beheaded.  .  .  .  One  of  the 
3o6 


Her  Marriage  Day 

ladies,  who  has  been  identified  as  Miss  Durham, 
was  heard  to  cry  'Lord  Jesus,'  with  an  exceed- 
ingly sweet  voice,  and  one  looking  on  described 
her  face  as  that  of  a  bride  on  her  marriage 
day.  .  .  .  These  details  I  have  collected 
from  truthworthy  sources,  and  have  sent  home, 
because  they  may  be  of  comfort  to  the  friends 
of  those  who  fell,  and  they  bear  testimony  to 
the  unshaken  courage  and  remarkable  devotion 
of  the  missionaries.  .  .  .  It  is  satisfactory 
to  add  that  the  Rebels  were  satisfied  with  the 
murder  of  the  staflf,  and  did  not  seek  for  the 
patients,  so  that  the  doctor  and  the  two  nurses 
accomplished  their  end  and  saved  the  lives  of 
those  committed  to  their  charge." 

"Her  Marriage  Day" — and,  as  he  read  those 
words  again,  the  scene  of  martyr  romance,  with 
the  little  Christian  citadel,  rich  in  Christ's  treas- 
ure of  the  sick,  and  the  brave  garrison  of  Christ's 
three  servants,  and  the  raging,  merciless,  brutal 
enemy,  and  the  last  song  to  the  honor  of  Jesus 
before  his  soldiers  sealed  their  testimony  with 
their  blood,  and  the  figure  of  their  own  marytr 
waiting  for  the  Bridegroom,  faded  in  its  spiritual 
207 


St.  Jude's 

and  dazzling  glory  from  before  Carmichael's 
mind,  and  he  recalled  another  scene  which  now 
would  be  its  companion,  as  in  years  to  come 
he  thought  of  Agnes  Durham.  From  the  begin- 
ning of  his  ministry  at  St.  Jude's  he  had  known 
and  respected  her,  and  had  seen  more  of  her 
than  almost  any  other  of  the  young  women  who 
worked  in  the  church.  He  had  come  to  regard 
her  as  a  model  of  Christian  character  and  un- 
selfish service,  and  indeed  he  was  accustomed 
to  mention  her  to  his  wife  as  an  instance  of 
sinless  perfection,  which  had  never  been  a  fault 
with  Kate  Carmichael,  and  even  in  lighter  mo- 
ments to  hint  that  if  it  had  been  the  will  of  an 
inscrutable  Providence  to  have  given  him  Agnes 
Durham  for  a  helpmeet,  there  is  no  saying  to 
what  heights  of  usefulness  and  sanctity  he  might 
have  risen.  Kate  admired  Agnes  as  much  as 
her  husband,  and  was  not  at  all  moved  by  those 
speculative  rearrangements,  for  she  used  to 
point  out  that  Carmichael,  being  a  man  of  varied 
tastes  and  wayward  impulses,  and  being  as  yet 
only  in  the  early  processes  of  sanctification. 
Would  have  been  sick  and  tired  of  Agnes  Durham 
3o8 


Her  Marriage  Day 

in  a  month.  Carmichael  was  ready  to  admit  the 
force  of  this  remark,  for  he  admired  Agnes 
as  a  saint  rather  than  as  a  woman,  and  it  is  the 
women  and  not  the  saints  who  are  more  per- 
fectly suited  for  married  Hfe.  No  one  had  ever 
called  her  beautiful,  or  even  said  she  was  pretty. 
People  used  to  say,  as  they  generally  do  in  such 
cases,  that  she  had  a  sweet  expression,  and 
there  were  certainly  moments  when  the  soul 
within  lent  an  engaging  comeliness  to  the  face. 
It  would  have  been  a  satire  to  describe  her  as 
clever  or  brilliant,  and  she  herself  would  have 
smiled  at  the  idea  ;  for  if  the  truth  be  told,  Agnes 
was  slow  of  mind  and  even  puzzle-headed,  so 
that  she  had  difficulty  in  getting  a  hold  of  things 
and  she  was  as  absolutely  destitute  of  humor  as 
the  table.  There  was  nothing  distinguished 
about  her  except  that  she  had  a  neat  figure  and 
good  manners,  white  teeth  and  a  pleasant  smile, 
and,  it  should  be  added,  brown  eyes  of  dog-like 
faithfulness.  What  does  it  matter  now  that  she 
seemed  commonplace,  and  that  she  was  uninter- 
esting to  bright  people,  so  that  she  had  fallen 
into  the  habit  of  silence  in  company,  and  had 
309 


St.  Jude*s 

grown  afraid  of  those  wonderful  folk  who  never 
open  their  mouths  without  dropping  an  epigram, 
and  never  refer  to  the  weather  without  original- 
ity. 

One  may  even  grant  that  she  had  the  de- 
fects of  her  excellent  qualities — that  she  was  a 
trifle  demure  and  prudish,  that  she  was  apt  to 
treat  young  men  as  if  they  were  ever  on  the 
verge  of  a  proposal,  and  that  her  rules  of  pro- 
priety approached  absurdity.  Carmichael  had 
once  been  angry  with  her  when  at  a  guild  meet- 
ing in  St.  Jude's  he  had  introduced  two  country 
lads — recent  arrivals — and  left  them  with  her 
as  in  good  company,  to  find  on  his  return  one 
of  them  sitting  looking  east,  and  the  other  look- 
ing west,  while  Agnes  Durham  in  the  centre 
looked  north,  and  all  three  were  bound  and 
held  in  unbroken  and  awful  silence.  There  are 
old  maids  by  force  of  circumstances,  and  there 
are  those  who,  as  Mrs.  Gamp  would  say,  that 
close  observer  of  life  and  profound  philosopher, 
"are  born  sich,"  and  Agnes  Durham  every  one 
would  have  agreed  was  "born  sich."  There  are 
fhings  you  can  believe  may  happen,  and  thing? 
219 


Her  Marriage  Day 

which  you  cannot  believe,  and  only  the  most 
riotous  and  topsy-turvey  mind  could  imagine 
any  one  making  love  or  proposing  to  Agnes 
Durham,  or  Agnes  being  married  and  the  mother 
of  a  family.  She  had  a  distaste  for  men  unless 
they  were  cripples  who  required  to  be  nursed, 
or  elderly  gentlemen  with  white  hair,  who  said, 
"Eh !  what,  my  dear,  eh !"  With  male  persons 
of  this  harmless  character  she  allowed  herself 
freedom  of  speech,  and  might  even  have  ex- 
changed a  mild  jest;  toward  young  and  able- 
bodied  men  she  maintained  a  cold  and  dignified 
reserve,  and  they  escaped  from  her  presence  as 
from  the  chilling  temperature  of  a  mausoleum, 
Carmichael  held  that  the  religious  calling  of 
women  was  not  confined  to  the  Roman  Church, 
but  that  there  were  also  Protestant  nuns,  and 
to  all  appearance  this  was  the  nature  and  lot 
of  Agnes  Durham.  She  would  wait  upon  her 
father  and  mother  with  the  utmost  docility  and 
devotion  till  they  died;  she  would  then  keep 
house  for  a  bachelor  brother,  and  serve  him 
hand  and  foot  till,  in  some  mad  moment,  which 
Agnes  could  never  account  for,  he  married  some 

3X1 


St.  Jude's 

perfectly  unsuitable  person ;  she  would  then  go 
and  take  care  of  some  frail  and  bad-tempered 
distant  relative  till  a  merciful  Providence  re- 
moved her,  and  then  she  would  join  with  an- 
other maiden  lady  of  corresponding  history  and 
tastes,  and  they  would  set  up  house  together 
with  a  very  prim  servant  of  uncertain  age,  a 
pug  and  a  parrot.  The  two  excellent  women 
would  spend  their  whole  time  in  visiting  the 
poor,  distributing  tracts,  collecting  for  charities, 
sewing  for  Dorcas  Societies,  attending  mission- 
ary meetings  and  doing  the  inglorious  work  on 
committees.  This  Carmichael  would  have  said 
five  years  ago  would  have  been  her  program, 
and  through  it  all  she  would  have  been  always 
modest,  gracious,  good-natured,  charitable  and 
maddeningly  correct  and  conscientious. 

We  have  all  got  complete  character  portraits 
of  people  we  know  upon  the  walls  of  our  mind, 
and  are  not  averse  to  taking  friends  round  and 
letting  them  see  this  and  that  person.  One  day 
we  get  a  great  surprise,  for  we  find  that  after 
all  we  knew  only  the  face,  and  did  not  even 
guess  the  heart,  and  that  the  person  whom,  as 

212 


Her  Marriage  Day 

we  thought,  we  could  read  as  a  book  was  some- 
thing very  different  and  unexpected. 

When  Miss  Durham  entered  Carmichael's 
study  one  forenoon  he  was  delighted  as  usual 
to  see  her,  for  he  had  no  surer  ally  and  he  made 
little  doubt  about  her  errand.  It  would  be  to 
ask  whether  a  certain  harmless  tale  was  quite 
suitable  for  the  young  women's  guild,  or 
whether  if  a  family  in  the  mission  district  did 
not  wish  tracts  she  ought  to  leave  them  on  the 
table,  or  what  was  the  meaning  of  an  obscure 
verse  by  some  minor  prophet  which  she  had 
come  across  in  her  reading,  or  what  was  one's 
duty  when  your  family  asked  you  to  make  a 
fourth  in  a  game  of  whist.  Carmichael  was  not 
a  patient  man,  nor  very  sympathetic  towards 
scrupulosity,  but  she  was  so  sincere  and  unsel- 
fish, and  lived  so  entirely  for  the  highest  ends, 
that  he  was  ever  at  her  service,  and  he  made  a 
hasty  calculation  how  long  he  could  give  her 
and  how  pleasant  he  could  be  to  her. 

"You  may  be  sure,  Miss  Durham,  that  I 
am  always  only  too  glad  to  see  you,  and  to  talk 
about  your  work.  Please  tell  me  wherein  I  can 
213 


St.  Jude's 

help  you,  for  you  have  a  right,  if  any  person 
in  St.  Jude's  has,  to  the  good  offices  of  your 
minister." 

"It  isn't  about  my  work,  but  about  myself 
that  I  have  come  to-day.  I  have  been  wishing 
to  call  for  the  last  month  about  this  matter; 
three  times  I  have  been  at  your  door  and 
turned  back,  and  it  was  only  after  lying  awake 
last  night  and  praying  for  guidance  that  I  have 
mustered  courage  to  visit  you  this  morning."  A 
new  note  in  the  voice  startled  Carmichael  and 
he  noticed  also  an  indefinable  difference  in  man- 
ner. He  looked  at  her  curiously  and  waited  for 
further  speech. 

"I  know,  Mr.  Carmichael,"  she  went  on  after 
a  little  pause,  "that  whatever  I  say  to  you  will 
be  confidential  and. that  it  will  never  pass  from 
you  to  any  other  person.  I  am  quite  sure  of 
this,  else  I  would  not  have  come  to-day.  You 
are  a  Christian  minister  and  a  gentleman,  so  I 
do  not  ask  your  promise."  Whatever  the  cir- 
cumstances were,  Carmichael  began  to  see  they 
must  be  serious,  for  they  had  invested  her  with 
a  certain  intensity  and  anxiety  which  had  never 
214 


Her  Marriage  t)ay 


befdfe  appeafed  in  this  placid  and  conventional 
nature. 

"You  know  me  well  enough,  Miss  Durham, 
to  trust  me  utterly.  Do  not  hesitate  to  open 
your  heart  and  to  tell  me  your  trouble,  if  trouble 
it  be."  And  Carmichael  glanced  keenly  at  her, 
for  he  felt  as  if  he  were  leaving  an  inland  lake 
and  putting  out  to  sea — a  sea  for  which  he  had 
no  chart. 

"It  would  be  very  hard,  Mr.  Carmichael,"  she 
said  in  a  low  but  firm  voice,  "if  I  had  to  confess 
some  sin  of  which  you  never  would  have  sus- 
pected me.  It  is,  I  think,  still  more  difficult  to 
speak  to  you  about  something  else  you  never 
could  imagine."  Her  face  flushed  hotly  and  then 
paled  again,  her  eyes  grew  soft  and  tender,  so 
that  for  the  first  time  Carmichael  thought  her 
pretty,  and  at  her  expression  he  started  inward- 
ly and  wondered.  He  had  seen  the  same  look 
when  a  girl  came  to  announce  her  engagement. 

"It  is  not  easy  to  find  words,"  and  she  came 
nearer  to  Carmichael  and  unconsciously  laid 
hold  upon  the  sleeve  of  his  coat. 

"People  have  always  supposed,  I  know,  that 
215 


St.  Jude's 

I  disliked  all  men — except  of  course  my  own 
people — and  I  have  always  felt  that  men  did 
not  want  to  be  with  me,  because  I  have  not  got 
the  ways  of  young  women,  and  cannot  make 
myself  agreeable,  and  because  I  am  not  good- 
looking.  But  though  our  faces  be  different, 
every  woman's  heart  is  the  same."  She  could  go 
no  further,  but  looked  wistfully  at  the  minister 
to  see  if  he  understood.  And  Carmichael  did. 

He  had  ever  held — and  it  was  not  the  least 
part  of  his  small  store  of  wisdom  in  those  early 
years — that  every  woman  was  made  to  love, 
and  in  loving  fulfilled  herself.  That  the  ideal 
state  for  women  was  marriage,  and  that  to 
marriage  they  were  justified  in  looking  as  a  goal 
of  life.  He  had  also  cherished  in  his  heart  the 
belief  that  those  dear  old  maids  whose  faces 
were  like  withered  roses,  had  had  their  love 
affairs,  which  had  been  love  tragedies,  and  that 
somewhere  in  their  desk  and  in  some  secret 
drawer  there  was  a  photograph  and  a  packet 
of  faded  letters.  Never  had  he  laughed  at  love- 
sickness  or  treated  marriage  lightly;  even  in 
his  inexperience  he  had  found  that  this  was  the 
216 


Her  Marriage  Day 

strongest  passion  of  life,  and  that  many  a  man 
and  woman  had  been  wrecked  or  had  been  saved 
in  body  and  soul  by  love.  He  blamed  himself 
that  if  he  had  made  any  exception  it  was  for 
such  a  one  as  Agnes  Durham,  and  now  he  was 
to  find  that  this  timid  and  virginal  soul  had 
also  her  love  story. 

"Yes,  Miss  Durham,"  said  the  minister  with 
much  gentleness,  "I  think  that  I  know,  and  if 
it  be  as  I  suppose,  I  am  glad.  You  have  won 
the  prize  of  life,  which  is  love." 

"If  it  were  the  will  of  God  I  should  be  the 
happiest  and  most  fortunate  woman  in  this 
city.  But  I  have  nothing  to  tell;  that  is  my 
misery,  I  cannot  be  sure.  I  love  him,  but  he  has 
said  nothing,  and  perhaps  he  does  not  love  me." 
And  Miss  Durham  was  now  twisting  her  gloves 
in  her  hands,  and  trembling  so  much  that  Car- 
michael  compelled  her  to  sit  down,  and  for  a 
minute  looked  towards  the  window,  as  his  way 
was  when  people  were  regaining  themselves. 

"You  wonder  why  I  came  to  you,  and  what 
you  can  do  for  me.  It  is  not  a  matter  in  which, 
as  a  rule,  a  stranger  can  meddle.  I  have  not 
217 


St.  Jude's 

spoken  to  my  mother,  and  it  would  be  of  fid 
use.  I  know  no  one  to  whom  to  go,  except 
yourself,  and  I  cannot  endure  this  uncertainty 
any  longer.  It  is  disturbing  my  life  and  hinder- 
ing my  work ;  it  may  soon  break  my  health.  Will 
you  help  me  ?" 

"To  the  utmost  of  my  power  and  sympathy," 
replied  Carmichael,  "but  what  can  I  do?  Do  I 
know  the  man,  and  may  I  ask  his  name?" 

"No  one  knows  him  so  well,  and  you  are 
understood  to  be  his  most  intimate  friend.  You 
are  often  together,  and  every  one  says  that 
you  have  no  secrets  from  one  another.  You 
guess  now  whom  I  mean,"  said  Miss  Durham, 
with  a  trembling  voice,  for  this  revelation  is  an 
awful  strain  upon  a  woman's  innate  delicacy 
and  self-respect. 

"Pardon  me  if  I  am  making  a  mistake,  for 
this  conversation  has  taken  me  aback,  but  can 
it  be  Professor  Redgrave  ?"  And  Agnes'  super- 
sensitive ear  caught  the  accent  of  astonishment 
and  hopelessness  in  Carmichael's  voice.  "No," 
he  said,  after  she  had  given  a  gesture  of  assent, 
"I  never  could  have  guessed." 
218 


Her  Marriage  Day 

The  pity  of  it  struck  Carmichael  in  an  instant 
and  he  would  have  g^ven  a  year  of  his  ministry 
to  save  this  sensitive  and  deep-hearted  girl  what 
he  began  to  realize  would  be  the  chief  agony  of 
her  life.  What  was  the  meaning  of  it,  or  was 
there  any  reason  at  all  behind  things,  that  this 
girl,  with  her  homely  face  and  retiring  ways, 
should  have  fallen  in  love  with  Redgrave?  If 
she  was  not  the  plainest  girl  in  the  city,  and 
certainly  she  was  not  that,  there  was  no  ques- 
tion, he  was  the  handsomest  and  most  brilliant 
personality.  With  his  perfect  Greek  face,  his 
flashing  eyes,  his  rich,  olive  complexion,  his 
fascinating  smile,  his  eternal  gaiety,  his  ready 
wit,  his  faultless  manners  and  equally  faultless 
dress,  his  innumerable  accomplishments,  he  was 
the  glory  of  the  University  and  the  pet  of  the 
West  End.  He  was  welcome  everywhere,  and 
he  was  courteous  to  all.  He  seemed  to  know 
everything  besides  his  own  subject,  and  he  al- 
ways said  the  right  thing.  Never  was  such  an 
"Admirable  Crichton"  seen  in  a  gray  Scots  city, 
where  he  appeared  like  a  bird  of  paradise. 

It  was  a  general  jest  that  every  second 
219 


St.  Jude's 

young  woman  was  in  love  with  him ;  but  while 
he  was  agreeable  to  all  women,  he  was  secretly 
indifferent.  Carmichael  was  convinced  that  he 
would  never  marry,  but  that  if  he  did  so  it  would 
be  grandly.  As  for  poor  Agnes  Durham !  Car- 
michael walked  to  the  window,  as  was  his  way 
in  the  critical  moments  of  an  interview,  and  he 
could  have  wept,  or  laughed,  it  was  so  absurd ; 
it  was  also  so  lamentable.  A  woman  of  sensitive 
nature  and  morbid  self-respect  does  not  unveil 
her  melting  heart  in  any  man's  sight,  except  in 
desperate  straits,  and  the  only  consolation  for 
her  torture  is  the  fulfillment  of  her  desire.  Car- 
michael turned,  and  his  heart  failed  him  as  he 
looked  at  Agnes.  She  was  still  standing  waiting 
for  his  word,  and  she  read  the  answer  in  his 
face. 

"I  understand — please  say  nothing.  He  took 
me  in  to  dinner  once,  and  I  have  met  him  other 
times,  not  often.  He  called  one  afternoon  and 
sat  for  some  time.  I  attended  his  philosophy 
class  for  ladies,  and  he  was  so  kind  about  an 
essay  I  wrote,  and  pointed  out  the  mistakes  in 
style.  It  was  the  way  he  spoke  and  looked  at 
220 


Her  Marriage  Day 

me.  But  I  suppose  it  was  my  own  imagination, 
and  the  love  is  all  my  own.  You  will  not  laugh 
at  me,  nor  think  this  a  young  girl's  fancy.  I  am 
not  young  and  have  no  fancies.  This  is  my  only 
love  story,  and  it  is  closed." 

"You  do  not  know,  perhaps  in  days  to 
come " 

"I  am  certain — never  before  and  never  again 
— it  is  not  God's  will  for  me,  and  my  calling  is 
not  an  earthly  marriage." 

Now  the  will  of  God  was  plain,  and  the  heart 
of  Agnes  Durham,  deep  and  true,  which  would 
have  been  a  priceless  treasure  for  the  best  of 
men,  was  forever  satisfied  where  they  neither 
marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage,  but  are  as  the 
angels  of  God. 


221 


TRigbteoua  ©vermucb 


IRfQbteous  ©vermucb 

The  ordinary  business  of  the  court  of  elders 
had  been  finished,  and  the  minister  was  about  to 
pronounce  the  benediction,  when  an  elder  rose 
whom  every  one  honored,  both  for  his  ability  and 
his  integrity,  as  well  as  his  courtesy  and  kind- 
ness, and  spoke  with  deep  emotion. 

"Moderator  and  brethren,  I  have  a  commu- 
nication to  make  to  the  Session  which  gives  me 
greater  pain  than  I  have  ever  had  in  all  my  life, 
and  which  I  venture  to  think  will  be  received 
with  sympathy.  Owing  to  the  recent  financial 
crisis,  and  the  policy  of  the  banks  in  calling  in 
their  loans,  our  firm  has  been  gravely  embar- 
rassed, and  I  am  sorry  to  say  we  shall  be  obliged 
to-morrow  to  place  ourselves  in  the  hands  of 
our  creditors.  This  is  a  great  grief  to  my  part- 
ners and  myself,  for,  as  you  know,  gentlemen, 
our  firm  has  an  ancient  name,  and  we  have  tried 
to  keep  it  unsoiled ;  circumstances,  however, 
have  been  too  much  for  us,  and  it  is  possible 
325 


St.  Jude's 

that  our  history  is  near  an  end ;  at  any  rate,  we 
shall  not  be  able  for  the  first  time  to  meet  our 
obligations. 

"With  our  business  affairs,  I  am  aware,  this 
court  has  nothing  to  do,  and  I  will  not  refer 
further  to  that  side  of  things;  you  have,  how- 
ever, the  charge  of  your  honor  as  a  court  of 
the  church,  and  it  is  your  business  to  watch  over 
the  character  of  your  members;  it  is  a  disaster 
if  a  communicant  in  the  Christian  church  should 
fail  in  his  moral  duty,  but  it  is  a  still  greater 
calamity  if  any  man  in  the  position  of  elder 
should  not  be  able  to  keep  Christ's  law  so  far 
as  a  poor  man  can.  As  to-morrow  I  shall  be 
practically,  if  not  legally,  bankrupt  and  any  man 
in  that  position  should  lay  his  resignation  on 
the  table  of  the  court,  to  leave  them  to  do  with 
it  as  they  please,  and  as  the  circumstances  sug- 
gest, I  beg  now  with  deep  regret  to  resign  my 
position  as  an  elder  in  St.  Jude's.  I  have  been 
proud  to  hold  the  office;  I  should  hate  in  any 
way  to  disgrace  it."  And  Mr.  Ryrie  left  the 
court,  but  not  before  our  Nathanael  had  shaken 
him  warmly  by  the  hand.  The  door  was  hardly 
326 


Righteous  Overmuch 

dosed  before  Nathanael,  usually  one  of  the  most 
diffident  and  silent  of  the  court,  was  on  his  feet 
and  asking  the  Moderator  to  allow  him  to  move 
a  resolution. 

"I'm  sure,"  he  said,  "that  I  express  the  deep- 
est feeling  of  every  heart  when  I  say  that  we 
have  received  this  intelligence  with  the  greatest 
sorrow,  and  that  there  is  not  one  of  us  who  will 
not  remember  our  brother  Ryrie  in  our  prayers 
to-night ;  there  is  not  in  the  city  a  more  upright 
man,  and  there  is  not  a  firm  which  has  a  higher 
reputation.  As  we  all  know,  what  has  happened 
is  not  their  blame,  but  their  misfortune,  and  in 
the  present  state  of  aiTairs  might  be  the  lot  of 
any  of  us.  It  is  quite  in  keeping  with  our 
brother's  spirit  to  place  his  resignation  before 
us,  and  I  do  not  deny  that  there  arc  circum- 
stances when  such  a  resignation  might  be  wisely 
accepted.  But  in  this  case  we  are  all  at  one ;  it 
would  be  a  serious  loss  to  the  Session  to  part 
with  Mr.  Ryrie,  and  it  would  be  a  great  blank 
in  our  own  fellowship ;  he  has  been  a  strength  to 
the  court,  and  he  will  be  the  same  in  years  to 
come,  and  I  beg  to  move," — and  then  after  a 
227 


St.  Jude's 

long  consultation  with  the  Moderator,  for 
Nathanael  was  not  skilful  in  drawing  up  resolu- 
tions, he  read  as  follows : 

"The  Session  decline  to  receive  the  resigna- 
tion which  Mr.  Ryrie  has  tendered,  and  invite 
him  to  continue  in  the  office  of  elder;  they  ex- 
press their  sympathy  with  him  in  his  present 
trial,  and  they  place  on  record  their  affectionate 
and  respectful  appreciation  of  his  unblemished 
character  and  valuable  services." 

They  were  already  arranging  that  the  Moder- 
ator and  Nathanael  should  wait  upon  Mr.  Ryrie 
at  his  house  that  evening,  and  convey  to  him  this 
resolution  and  the  good  wishes  of  the  Session, 
when  a  member  of  court  who  had  moved 
uneasily  once  or  twice  called  attention  to  the 
fact  that  the  resolution  had  not  been  put,  and 
therefore  was  not  carried. 

"Yes,  Mr.  Moderator,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  ris- 
ing, "I  do  mean  that  I  am  going  to  propose  an 
amendment  to  that  motion,  or,  if  it  be  more  in 
order,  I  shall  move  the  previous  question.  It  is 
not  certainly  agreeable  to  occupy  my  present 
position,  or  to  take  the  line  which  I  am  doing; 
328 


Righteous  Overmuch 

one  is  always  more  popular  when  he  says  smooth 
things  and  falls  in  with  the  majority.  But  I 
take  it  we  are  here  to  obey  our  conscience  and 
to  do  our  duty  by  the  congregation  committed 
to  our  charge.  I  am  in  perfect  agreement  with 
all  that  has  been  said  about  the  financial  crisis 
which  has  affected  us  all,  and  also  about  the 
high  character  of  Mr.  Ryrie's  firm,  but  I  wish 
to  submit  that  we  have  to  deal  with  facts.  The 
facts  are  that  he  is  an  elder  of  this  church,  the 
highest  position  one  can  obtain  in  our  religious 
organization,  and  that  he  is  going  to  compound 
with  his  creditors  ;  it  is  very  unfortunate  for  him 
that  he  should  be  in  this  position,  but  it  would 
be  still  worse  for  us  if  he  continued  in  the  elder- 
ship. I  do  not  say  that  a  bankrupt  is  as  bad  as 
a  drunkard,  it  is  not  necessary  to  make  com- 
parisons. But  it  is  a  scandal  when  one  cannot 
pay  his  debts,  and  therefore  I  think  Mr.  Ryrie 
has  shown  a  wise  discretion  in  resigning,  and  I 
beg  to  submit  that  we  express  our  sympathy 
with  him  and  that  we  accept  the  resignation." 

"Does  any  one  second  this  motion  ?"  said  Car- 
michael  in  a  voice  eloquent  with  indignation,  and 
229 


St.  Jude^s 

a  silence  followed  which  would  have  daunted 
any  one  except  that  indomitable  Aristides.  No 
one  would  second  it,  and  the  Moderator  an- 
nounced triumphantly  that  the  motion  of 
Nathanael  was  carried  unanimously. 

"Excuse  me,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  "you  cannot 
say  unanimously  till  you  know  whether  every 
one  is  in  favor,"  and  when  the  show  of  hands 
was  taken  he  held  his  up  against  it ;  he  also  asked 
that  his  protest  should  be  entered  in  the  min- 
utes. As  Mr.  Skinner  anticipated,  and  the 
elders  feared,  he  was  successful,  for  when  Mr. 
Ryrie  learned  that  one  elder  had  dissented  he 
refused  to  resume  office,  and  St.  Jude's  lost  for 
a  time  one  of  the  representative  merchants  of 
the  city. 

This  stroke  was  admitted  to  be  Mr.  Skinner's 
masterpiece,  and  every  one  was  agreed  that  he 
had  never  been  so  successfully  offensive;  but  the 
incident  was  only  the  outcome  of  his  character. 
Mr.  Skinner,  during  the  course  of  a  long  life, 
had  never  done  anything  openly  wrong,  either 
at  school  or  in  his  youth  or  in  business  or  in 
church  affairs  or  in  his  home  or  in  society.  He 
«30 


Righteous  Overmuch 

was  an  abstainer  and  a  good  liver;  he  was  a  hard 
worker  and  faithful  to  every  charge ;  he  had 
always  paid  what  was  due ;  he  never  had  broken 
a  bargain ;  he  gave  largely  to  charity,  and  helped 
to  manage  the  business  aflfairs  of  a  hospital ;  he 
had  provided  for  his  wife  and  family;  he  held 
family  worship  morning  and  evening;  his  at- 
tendance at  church  touched  the  highest  point, 
and  he  visited  his  district  as  an  elder  four  times 
a  year.  His  very  appearance  in  black  frock- 
coat  and  waistcoat,  dark  gray  trousers,  black  tie, 
carefully  brushed  hat ;  the  thin  lines  of  his 
mouth,  the  cold  expression  of  his  eye,  his  se- 
verely trimmed  whiskers,  his  exact  form  of 
speech,  his  formal  handshake,  were  all  a  revela- 
tion of  the  man.  He  was  emphatically  a  right- 
eous man,  against  whom  no  one  could  bring  any 
charge  of  omission  or  commission;  and  he  was 
simply  detested.  There  was  no  one  who  could 
say  a  bad  word  of  him,  there  was  no  one  ever 
moved  to  say  a  good  word  of  him.  There  was 
no  one  need  be  ashamed  to  be  in  his  company, 
but  every  one  hastened  to  get  out  of  his  com- 
pany. So  far  as  was  known  he  had  no  friends, 
231 


St.  Jude's 

and  for  that  matter  hardly  any  acquaintance; 
for  men  would  lose  ten  minutes  rather  than 
travel  in  the  'bus  with  him.  His  wife  was  well- 
dressed,  and  was  allowed  the  use  of  a  hired 
brougham.  In  case  of  illness  she  would  have 
had  the  best  medical  attendance,  and  her  hus- 
band always  spoke  to  her  with  respect ;  but  peo- 
ple noticed  that  she  had  a  cowed  and  spiritless 
look,  not  as  of  one  who  was  ill-used,  for  no  one 
suspected  Skinner  of  secret  domestic  vices,  but 
the  look  of  one  who  had  lost  vitality.  She  had 
blanched  and  withered  under  the  shadow  of  her 
austere  husband.  His  sons,  except  one  who  had 
gone  abroad,  were  unmarried  and  lived  at  home. 
They  had  not  played  the  fool,  and  they  were  not 
known  to  quarrel  with  their  father.  But  the 
father  and  sons  were  never  seen  together,  and 
at  home  they  sat  in  different  rooms.  If  they 
ever  talked,  it  was  only  on  business  arrange- 
ments, and  they  never  exchanged  an  affectionate 
greeting.  Place  him  where  you  please,  he  would 
do  righteously;  do  what  he  pleased,  he  would 
be  disliked.  If  there  were  an  opportunity  of 
acting  graciously,  he  always  refused  it;  if  there 
232 


Righteous  Overmuch 

were  an  opportunity  of  acting  severely,  he  al- 
ways seized  it.  He  was  carried  away  by  no  im- 
pulse, he  was  guided  by  a  frozen  reason ;  he  was 
never  troubled  by  a  warm  heart,  he  was  domi- 
nated by  a  pedantic  conscience.  He  was  always 
logical,  and  often  rose  to  sublime  heights  of 
common-sense.  He  was  ever  at  war  with  senti- 
ment, and  carried  about  with  him  the  atmosphere 
of  a  refrigerator.  And  at  the  close  of  that  meet- 
ing, it  was  only  the  singular  grace  of  God  and 
the  charitable  influence  of  Nathanael  which  pre- 
vented Carmichael  from  inviting  Mr.  Skinner 
into  the  vestry  when  the  meeting  of  Session  was 
over,  and  explaining  to  him  in  the  frankest  and 
most  unreserved  terms  what  he  thought  both 
of  himself  and  his  works. 

One  seldom  regrets  that  he  has  not  spoken 
harshly,  for  one  never  knows  what  sudden  turn 
life  may  take,  and  Carmichael  felt  that  he  had 
lost  nothing  by  his  self-restraint — a  quality  in 
which  he  did  not  greatly  excel,  when  a  message 
came  from  Mr.  Skinner  asking  him  to  call  as 
quickly  as  possible,  because  they  were  in  great 
trouble.  When  he  arrived  he  was  shown  into 
233 


St.  Jude*s 

the  dining-room,  where  the  very  furniture  of 
heavy  mahogany,  and  the  absence  of  ornament, 
and  the  general  air  of  severity,  bore  the  impress 
of  the  family  character.  It  did  not  matter  how 
joyful  and  hopeful  one  might  be,  an  hour  in 
that  room,  or  even  five  minutes  if  you  were  sus- 
ceptible, would  reduce  the  wildest  spirit  to  a 
state  of  solemnity.  Even  although  one  were 
simply  charged  with  charity,  till  it  oozed  from 
his  finger-tips,  he  would  be  obliged  to  take  a 
more  unrelenting  view  of  his  fellows  after 
breathing  the  atmosphere  of  that  hall  of  justice. 
Carmichael  felt  that  nothing  but  a  moral  earth- 
quake could  upset  the  iron  composure  and  im- 
perturbable self-righteousness  of  this  house — or, 
rather,  of  its  head;  but  when  Mr.  Skinner  en- 
tered the  room  he  knew  there  had  been  some 
kind  of  a  catastrophe.  His  hair  had  lost  its 
exact  set;  his  eyes  were  many  degrees  softer; 
the  straight  line  of  his  lips  had  been  shaken ;  his 
very  clothes  seemed  to  be  worn  carelessly.  The 
whole  fashion  of  his  countenance  had  been  al- 
tered, and  his  manner  was  broken  and  hesitating. 
"Very  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Carmichael ;  that  is 
234 


Righteous  Overmuch 

not  quite  what  I  intended  to  say,  for  I  cannot 
be  glad  in  the  circumstances,  very  much  the 
opposite.  But  I  am  grateful,  very  grateful,  and 
Mrs.  Skinner — that  is,  I  mean  to  say,  my  wife — 
also  thanks  you  for  coming  so  promptly.  We 
thought  of  you  in  this  hour  of  trouble,  for, 
although  I  may  never  have  said  it  to  you,  I  have 
been — that  is,  I  am — in  fact,  we  have  enjoyed 
many  of  your  sermons  very  much,  especially  we 
now  think  those  about  sorrow.  They — have 
touched  us  more  than  we  knew,  and — we  turn 
to  you  to-day  as  by  an  instinct,  if  I  may  put  it 
that  way."  And  as  he  floundered  along,  Car- 
michael  began  to  believe  that  there  might  be  an- 
other Skinner  whom  neither  he  nor  any  other 
man  had  as  yet  known, 

"Before  I  tell  you  why  we  have  asked  you  to 
come,"  continued  the  elder,  who  seemed  anxious 
to  unburden  himself,  "I  must  make  a  confession. 
It  is  rather  painful  and,  in  fact,  humiliating,  but 
— that  is  part  of  the — punishment,  and  quite  fair. 
You  know  my  two  sons?  Quite  so,  and — no 
doubt  you  are  aware  that  they  are  well-doing 
young  men — not  quite  so  religious  as  I  should 
235 


St.  Jude's 

like — and  there  are  one  or  two  things  in  which 
we  do  not  see  eye  to  eye,  but  I  am  bound  to 
say  that  I  have  had  no  cause  for  complaint.  If 
I  had  been — well,  perhaps  a  little  more,  what 
shall  I  say?  understanding  or  sympathetic — yes, 
that  is  the  word,  sympathetic — our  home  might 
have  been  happier.  I  know  that  my  wife  thinks 
so,  and — ^Jessie  has  always  been  nearer  the  boys 
than  I've  been." 

As  Mr.  Skinner  confessed  that  he  had  not 
been  infallible,  and,  above  all,  when  he  called  his 
wife  by  her  Christian  name,  Carmichael  felt  as 
if  he  were  looking  at  winter  changing  into 
spring,  and  the  conversion  of  a  soul.  But  he 
knew  better  than  to  say  a  single  word ;  it  was 
his  part  to  listen  and  to  encourage. 

"Pray  be  seated,  Mr.  Carmichael.  Pardon  my 
rudeness,  but — this  evening  I  have  had  much  to 
shake  me,  and,  with  your  permission,  I  will  con- 
tinue the  explanation  of  our  family  history. 
Very  likely  you  did  not  know  that  I  had — I 
mean,  have — a  third  son.  Some  of  the  brethren, 
of  course,  knew  him,  but  they  might  not  mention 
the  matter  to  you.  Very  considerate ;  it  would 
236 


Righteous  Overmuch 

be  a  good  thing  if  we  all  regarded  one  another's 
feelings,  for  life  has  many  hard  trials,  and  I  am 
learning  that  we  should  be  kindly  one  to  an- 
other. I  wish  I  had  learned  this  sooner,  but  I 
need  not  go  into  that  just  now.  I  have  some- 
thing else  to  speak  about,  and  I  am  obliged  to 
you  for  hearing  me  so  patiently." 

"Tell  me  everything,  Mr.  Skinner,"  said  Car- 
michael,  "and  be  sure  that  whatever  your  sor- 
row may  be,  I  want  to  share  it  with  you,  and  so 
will  all  your  brethren.  It  is  all  we  can  do  for 
one  another  in  the  hour  of  trouble,  and  it  is  what 
the  Lord  does  for  us,  every  one,  'Touched  with 
the  feeling  of  our  infirmities.' "  And  there  was 
a  tenderness  in  Carmichael's  voice  which  came 
from  his  heart,  for  if  a  Celt  be  quick  to  anger,  he 
is  also  quick  to  love. 

"Thank  you  from  my  heart,  sir.  As  we  do 
unto  others,  so  shall  it  be  done  unto  us,  is  a 
true  word,  but  it  has  its  exceptions.  I  am  find- 
ing one  this  evening,  and  kindness  is  very  wel- 
come to-night,  for  we  are  in  great  tribulation, 
and  it  is  largely  of  my  own  making.  I  see  it 
now,  and  I  trust  that  I  repent,  but  I  fear  me  it 
237 


St.  Jude*s 

is  too  late.  That  word  comes  to  me,  'Found 
no  place  of  repentance,  though  he  sought  it  care- 
fully with  tears.' "  And  Mr.  Skinner  controlled 
himself  with  a  visible  effort. 

"But  I  have  not  told  you  about  my  son,  who 
was  my  youngest,  and,  as  Jessie  said  to  me,  our 
Benjamin.  Lost  to  us  like  Benjamin,  but  whether 
he  be  found  or  not  again,  I  know  not,  but  I  pray 
God  may  be  merciful.  Certainly,  he  has  come 
back  to  his  home  on  earth,  but  whether  he  has 
come  to  our  heavenly  Father — ah !  that  is  the 
question  which  is  trying  us  above  every  other. 

"But  I  am  anticipating,  Mr.  Carmichael,  and 
I'd  better  proceed  in  order,  because  you  must 
be  in  possession  of  the  facts  before  you  can  do 
any  good,  and  my  wife  and  I  are  hoping  that 
you  will  be  used  of  God  this  evening  to  help  a 
young  man  who  seems  near  to  death,  and  to 
relieve  the  anxiety  of  his  father  and  mother. 
My  youngest  son,  to  continue,  was  the  best- 
looking  of  the  family — very  like  my  beloved 
wife,  and  he  was  in  all  ways  the  most  attractive 
— she  is  the  gentlest  of  women,  but  I  fear  me 
has  had  a  hard  lot.     But  I  may  not  turn  aside, 

2^9 


Righteous  Overmuch 

though  there  are  many  things  I  could  say  to- 
night. Unfortunately,  while  Hke  his  mother  in 
most  things,  he  inherited  my  hardness  and  pride. 
We  did  not  get  on  well  together,  Mr.  Carmichael, 
and  I  am  willing  to  take  the  blame  to-night,  for 
his  mother  always  found  him  pleasant  and  affec- 
tionate, and  people  outside  liked  him  and  made 
much  of  him.  It  would  weary  you  to  go  into 
everything,  but  finally  we  quarreled,  and  he  told 
me  he  would  go  abroad  and  never  come  back 
again."  Mr.  Skinner  at  this  point  rose  and 
paced  the  room,  and  then,  standing  at  the  fire- 
place and  leaning  his  head  upon  his  hand,  he 
went  on  with  the  family  tragedy. 

"His  mother  was  nearly  broken-hearted,  and 
she  pleaded  with  him  to  change  his  mind,  and 
he  would  have  done  so  if  I  had  asked  him.  But, 
God  forgive  me,  I  refused,  and  told  her  that 
as  he  had  made  his  bed  he  must  lie  in  it,  and  that 
it  would  be  better  for  us  all  that  we  should  part. 
We  parted  in  anger,  and  I  have  never  seen  him 
till  he  was  brought  from  the  steamer  to  our 
house  to-day ;  I  fear  dying."  And  the  severest 
elder  in  St.  Jude's  sobbed  with  those  tears 
239 


St.  Jude's 

which  are  wrung  from  a  strong  man's  heart,  and 
are  the  bitterest  in  the  world. 

"Just  one  word  more,"  said  Mr.  Skinner, 
when  he  had  recovered,  "and  you  will  know 
everything.  During  the  years  of  his  absence  he 
wrote  to  his  mother  once  or  twice,  but  he  said 
very  little  about  himself;  we  gathered  that  he 
was  not  in  want,  and  that  he  was  not  living 
badly,  but  that  was  all  we  knew.  Whether  he 
was  a  Christian  or  not,  or  what  he  thought  about 
those  things,  we  had  no  idea,  and  now,  since  he 
was  brought  to  his  home  and  laid  on  his  bed, 
he  has  been  unconscious.  Mr.  Carmichael,  his 
mother  and  I  pray  that  he  may  be  spared,  al- 
though we  cannot  hope  for  that,  but  what  we 
desire  above  everything  is  that  he  should  give 
some  sign  that  he  is  saved.  If  he  be  lost" — 
and  Skinner's  voice  sank  into  a  low  wail — "his 
blood  for  all  eternity  shall  lie  at  his  father's 
door." 

Carmichael  at  that  morhent  did  justice  to  the 

strength  of  a  creed  which  placed  the  things  which 

are  unseen  infinitely  above  the  things  which  are 

seen,  and  the  strength  of  a  man  who  held  this 

340 


Righteous  Overmuch 

creed  of  the  value  of  the  soul  and  the  awfulness 
of  moral  issues,  with  the  marrow  of  his  bones. 
And  his  heart  went  with  Skinner  when  the  elder 
said,  "If  the  choice  were  given  me  this  night 
whether  I  would  have  Robert  restored  to  us  in 
health,  but  a  stranger  to  Christ,  or  taken  away 
from  us  this  night,  but  saved  in  the  Lord,  my 
heart's  desire  would  be  that  Robert  should  be 
taken.  Even  although  he  never  heard  me  in  this 
world  ask  his  forgiveness."  And  Mr.  Skinner 
led  the  minister  upstairs, 

A  nurse  left  the  room  when  they  entered,  and 
the  four  were  alone.  The  son,  unconscious  in 
a  late  stage  of  typhoid  fever,  and  scarcely  mov- 
ing, moaned  piteously  at  intervals,  as  one  desir- 
ing something  he  could  not  express,  or  seeking 
for  some  person  he  could  not  find.  The  mother 
was  sitting  beside  the  bed,  and  from  time  to 
time  stroked  his  forehead,  while  her  eyes  never 
left  his  unresponsive  face.  His  father  went  to 
the  foot  of  the  bed,  and,  leaning  heavily  upon 
the  bed  rail,  looked  at  his  son  with  a  face  in 
which  bitter  regret  and  strong  affection  strug- 
gled together.  Carmichael  went  to  the  other 
241 


St.  Jude's 

side  from  Mrs.  Skinner,  and  for  a  while  stood 
silent.  Then  he  looked  inquiringly  at  the  father 
and  mother. 

"We  have  spoken  to  him,"  said  the  father, 
"and  he  does  not  hear  or  he  cannot  answer.  His 
mother  has  called  him  by  her  pet  name  for  him, 
and  if  he  does  not  reply  to  that  there  is  no  sound 
that  can  reach  him.  But  we  would  like  you  to 
pray  for  him,  and  maybe  the  words  of  the  prayer 
will  find  entrance  into  his  soul,  and  he  may  still 
make  some  sign  before  he  passes  into  the  other 
world." 

When  the  elder  ceased,  the  mother  leaned  for- 
ward, putting  her  lips  to  her  son's  ear,  said, 
"Robin,  Robin,  my  ain  dear  bairn,  Robin,  do 
you  not  know  me,  your  mother?  You  are  in 
your  old  room,  and  in  your  father's  house,  if 
you  hear  me  move  your  hand,"  and  she  watched 
the  one  hand  that  lay  outside  the  bedclothes. 
But  it  was  motionless,  and  the  unconscious  man 
only  moaned. 

Carmichael  knelt  and  prayed,  and  as  was  his 
wont  on  such  occasions,  he  called  upon  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  the  lover  of  the  human  soul, 
943 


Righteous  Overmuch 

and  our  brother  in  every  time  of  adversity,  that 
He  would  take  this  one  they  loved  into  his  safe 
keeping,  body  and  soul ;  that  if  it  were  the  divine 
will  He  would  rebuke  this  fever,  as  He  used 
to  do  in  the  days  of  Galilee,  and  give  this  young 
man  back  to  his  father  and  mother.  But  that, 
if  this  were  not  the  will  of  God,  He  would  lead 
him  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death 
and  bring  him  home,  all  his  sins  forgiven,  and 
his  soul  purified,  into  the  Father's  house ;  and 
that  when  the  sick  man  heard  neither  the  voice 
of  his  father  nor  mother,  Jesus  would  speak 
comfortably  to  him,  and  that  even  now  his  soul 
might  be  filled  with  peace  in  the  Lord. 

As  Carmichael  prayed,  the  elder  and  his  wife 
were  joining  in  their  hearts,  but  with  their  eyes 
they  were  watching  their  son.  It  seemed  to 
them  as  if  his  restlessness  were  ceasing,  and  his 
sunk  and  drawn  face  growing  peaceful.  He 
breathed  more  gently,  and  looked  as  if  he  were 
going  to  awake. 

"He  heard,  I  am  sure  that  he  heard  that 
prayer,"  and  again  she  called  him  by  name, 
and  wiped  his  forehead,  and  moistened  his  lips, 
243 


St.  Jude's 

that  he  might  answer  her  if  he  could.  Still  he 
gave  no  sign,  and  the  silence  in  the  room  was 
full  of  awe,  for  it  seemed  as  if  a  human  soul 
were  passing  from  their  grasp  into  eternity,  de- 
siring to  say  farewell  and  not  able. 

Carmichael  stooped  down,  and  in  a  clear  and 
penetrating  voice  said  into  the  dying  man's  ear, 
"Jesus — Christ — Saviour." 

When  he  had  said  this  twice,  a  subtle  change 
came  over  the  son's  face,  and  he  lay  in  perfect 
quietness;  then  Carmichael  spoke  again,  "Do 
you  believe  in  the  Lord — Jesus — Christ?"  And 
the  expression  seemed  to  deepen,  and  the  weari- 
ness and  the  pain  to  be  passing  from  the  pallid 
and  pinched  face. 

"Robin,"  and  now  the  mother  spoke,  "my 
Robin,  do  you  believe  in  Jesus?" 

At  the  sound  of  the  name  of  names,  repeated 
by  the  voice  of  his  mother,  the  bondage  of  the 
senses  was  broken  for  a  brief  instant,  and  Robin 
twice  lifted  up  his  hand. 

"See !"  cried  the  mother,  "he  has  heard  me,* 
and  he  is  trusting  in  Jesus."  "Thank  God,"  said 
the  father,  "for  this  great  mercy,  of  which  I  am 
244 


Righteous  Overmuch 

not  worthy,"  and  while  the  mother  was  still 
weeping,  partly  for  joy,  and  partly  for  sorrow, 
her  son,  all  his  wanderings  over,  passed  from 
the  home  on  earth  to  the  home  in  heaven. 

Mr.  Skinner  was  not  given  to  the  reading  of 
Browning,  but  Carmichael  showed  him  a  certain 
passage  in  "A  Death  in  the  Desert,"  and  the 
elder  had  it  printed,  and  it  hangs  in  his  room 
to  this  day.  But  only  Carmichael  and  his  wife 
know  the  reason. 

"Then  the  Boy  sprang  up  from  his  knees,  and  ran, 
Stung  by  the  splendor  of  a  sudden  thought. 

And  fetched  the  seventh  plate  of  graven  lead 
Out  of  the  secret  chamber,  found  a  place, 

Pressing  with  finger  on  the  deeper  dints, 

And  spoke,  as  't  were  his  mouth  proclaiming  first, 

'I  am  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life.' 

"Whereat  he  opened  his  eyes  wide  at  once, 

And  sat  up  of  himself,  and  looked  at  us; 
And  thenceforth  nobody  pronounced  a  word." 


245 


jeuoMae  ant)  Sipnti^cbe 


Buobfas  an&  Ssnt^cbe 

Their  friendship  was  of  such  long  standing 
and  was  established  on  such  a  solid  basis  that 
every  one  would  have  said  that  it  could  never 
be  broken,  and  its  disruption  was  looked  upon 
in  St.  Jude's  as  a  catastrophe — something  out- 
side the  laws  of  nature,  like  an  earthquake  or  a 
thunderbolt.  They  had  been  brides  of  the 
same  year  and  had  made  the  rounds  of  dinners 
together  that  winter,  sometimes  one  taking  pre- 
cedence, sometimes  the  other,  with  smiles  and 
bows  of  perfect  harmony.  Both  were  Scots 
women,  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  from  Perthshire, 
which  Sir  Walter  considers  with  justice  the  love- 
liest of  all  Scots  counties,  because  there  the 
Highlands  and  the  Lowlands  meet,  and  Mrs. 
Wetherspoon  had  some  faint  flavor  of  the  Celt 
in  her.  She  was  one  degree  fierier  and  two  de- 
grees cleverer  than  her  friend.  Mrs.  Livingstone 
was  from  Aryshire,  which  has  reared  the  dourest 
breed  of  folk  in  all  Scotland,  and  is  still  pre- 
249 


St.  Jude's 

pared  if  necessary  to  lift  testimonies  or  take 
covenants  or  do  anything  else  to  support  the 
old  and  to  oppose  the  new,  and  Mrs.  Living- 
stone was  a  woman  of  strenuous  affections  and 
unconquerable  determination.  They  were  both 
attractive  in  appearance,  though  in  different 
ways,  the  one  being  pretty  and  the  other  hand- 
some, and  they  had  kept  their  good  looks  un- 
diminished to  middle  age.  Neither  of  them 
thought  it  inconsistent  with  the  somewhat  severe 
religion  of  St.  Jude's  to  dress  well  or  to  take 
some  little  trouble  about  their  clothes.  Perhaps 
Mrs.  Wetherspoon  was  a  little  more  showy  and 
was  inclined  to  wear  more  conspicuous  jewelry, 
while  Mrs.  Livingstone  had  a  suggestion  of 
magnificence  about  her  dress,  and  made  up  for 
the  reserve  in  ornaments  by  the  costliness  of 
what  she  wore.  Their  husbands  were  both  na- 
tives of  the  city,  and  had  known  one  another 
from  the  beginning  of  things.  They  had  played 
together  as  children  at  the  seaside,  they  had  at- 
tended the  same  West  End  academy,  they  had 
gone  as  apprentices  the  same  month,  one  soft 
goods  and  the  other  into  iron.  In  the  same 
250 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

spring  they  had  started  business  for  themselves 
in  their  several  lines,  and  since  then  they  had 
kept  step  in  prosperity.  They  had  begun  house- 
keeping upon  the  respectable  scale  of  a  sixty- 
pound  rent,  they  had  almost  simultaneously 
moved  to  larger  houses,  and  finally  one  after 
the  other  they  had  gone  into  what  were  called 
in  house-agent  circulars  "West  End  mansions." 

Immediately  after  marriage  both  families  had 
settled  in  St.  Jude's,  and  through  all  changes 
of  residence,  and  in  spite  of  considerable  dis- 
tance, they  had  continued  in  the  old  church, 
and  indeed  would  have  been  miserable  in  any 
other.  Within  the  church  sphere  they  had  done 
their  duty  from  the  beginning  generously  and 
conscientiously,  and  had  been  rewarded  by  the 
esteem  of  the  congregation  and  by  just  promo- 
tion. 

The  men  were  appointed  deacons  at  the 
same  election,  and  if  Mr.  Livingstone  was  now 
an  elder  and  Mr.  Wetherspoon  remained  a  dea- 
con, this  was  not  because  the  one  had  been  dis- 
tinguished and  the  other  neglected,  but  because 
Mr.  Wetherspoon  had  refused  the  office  of  elder 
251 


St.  Jude's 

and  judged  himself  to  be  fit  only  for  a  deacon. 
He  was  an  excellent  business  man  and  an  adept 
in  church  finance,  but  he  had  no  gift  whatever 
for  public  prayer  and  always  used  a  manual  at 
family  worship,  which  was  held  to  indicate  either 
a  certain  want  of  spirituality  or  a  difficulty  in 
suitable  expression ;  while  Mr.  Livingstone  not 
only  conducted  worship  without  any  aid  and 
with  much  unction,  but  was  able  to  make  edify- 
ing references  to  the  conversion  of  the  Jews 
in  his  prayers,  and  to  local  events  like  the  pro- 
posal to  run  tram-cars  on  the  Sabbath,  which 
went  to  show  that  he  had  a  gift.  He  could  be 
depended  upon  to  lead  in  prayer  after  the  min- 
ister's address  at  the  week-night  service  and  peo- 
ple going  home  would  remark  with  admiration 
upon  the  skill  with  which  he  would  sum  up  the 
main  points  of  the  address  and  even  venture 
upon  an  application  in  his  petitions.  People  in 
St.  Jude's  were  connoisseurs  in  prayer,  and 
greatly  appreciated  the  happy  use  of  a  Scripture 
expression  or  a  felicitous  allusion,  and  as  Mr, 
Wetherspoon  was  not  a  competitor  in  this  class 
and  there  was  no  room  for  jealousy,  Mrs.  Weth- 
252 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

erspoon  would  congratulate  Mrs.  Livingstone 
with  perfect  sincerity  and  in  the  most  gracious 
way  upon  her  husband's  talent  for  religious  ex- 
ercises. There  is  a  natural  fitness  in  things,  and 
any  one  with  discernment  could  see  that  Mr.  Liv- 
ingstone was  intended  for  an  elder  by  a  certain 
gravity  of  manner  and  a  flavor  of  piety  in  speech, 
while  Mr.  Wetherspoon  was  marked  out  for  a 
deacon  by  a  worldly  shrewdness  in  getting  in  the 
seat-rents  and  a  liberty  in  the  color  of  his  ties. 
It  was  also  understood  that  on  occasion  the 
Wetherspoons  went  to  a  high-class  play — say 
when  Sir  Henry  Irving  was  in  the  city — al- 
though they  did  not  allude  to  the  matter  in 
church  circles,  while  the  Livingstones  were  op- 
posed to  the  theatre  in  every  shape  and  form, 
including  pantomimes.  They  also  steadily  re- 
fused to  give  dances,  and  their  daughters  only 
learned  that  dangerous  accomplishment  under 
the  guise  of  a  class  for  calisthenics,  where  the 
girls  performed  wonderful  motions  with  their 
arms  for  the  first  ten  minutes,  and  then  waltzed 
for  the  other  fifty.  Besides,  although  this  may 
be  pushing  subtle  distinctions  too  far,  Mrs.  Liv- 
253 


St.  Jude's 

ingstone  in  her  sombre  grandeur  gave  one  the 
idea  of  an  elder's  wife  of  the  higher  class,  while 
Mrs.  Wetherspoon,  with  her  brighter  colors, 
pointed  rather  to  the  more  secular  atmosphere 
of  a  deacon's  court.  This  specific  difference  ex- 
tended to  the  views  of  the  two  ladies,  for  while 
Mrs.  Livingstone  had  a  profound  respect  for 
the  doctrine  of  election,  and  liked  from  time  to 
time  to  see  a  confident  young  minister  break 
his  teeth  upon  it,  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  was  heard 
boldly  to  say  that  it  was  a  secret  past  finding  out, 
and  that  every  man  who  preached  on  it  made 
the  darkness  blacker;  and  while  Mrs.  Living- 
stone deplored  the  fact  that  with  the  growing 
laxity  of  modern  theology  the  edifying  doctrine 
of  hell  was  hardly  ever  touched,  and  Mr.  Car- 
michael  did  not  seem  to  know  the  place  existed, 
Mrs.  Wetherspoon  thought  the  less  said  upon 
that  subject  the  better,  and  referred  with  a 
shiver  to  a  famous  sermon  by  Dr.  McCluckie 
upon  the  cheerful  text,  "If  I  make  my  bed  in 
hell,"  in  which  that  distinguished  divine  used 
such  freedom  of  speech  that  two  ladies  were 
carried  out  fainting,  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  in  irre- 
254 


Euodias  and  Syntychc 

sponsible  moments  declared  that  she  would  have 
no  objection  to  a  prayer-book  if  only  to  save 
the  congregation  from  the  infliction  of  theologi- 
cal harangues  in  the  place  of  petitions  and  the 
refutation  of  contemporary  heresies,  but  Mrs. 
Livingstone  felt  it  right  to  protest  in  private 
against  a  form  of  words  which  Carmichael  used 
in  praying  for  the  Queen  and  the  Royal  Family, 
because  it  was  in  those  subtle  ways  that  the 
freedom  of  Presbyterian  worship,  for  which  her 
ancestors  had  been  shot  by  Claverhouse,  was 
undermined. 

Those  divergencies  of  opinion  were,  how- 
ever, quite  in  the  region  of  theory,  and  never 
caused  any  friction  between  the  two  excellent 
women,  whose  church  careers  had  run  parallel 
with  that  of  their  husbands.  As  young  matrons 
occupied  with  the  cares  of  their  families  they 
could  not  be  expected  to  do  arduous  church 
work,  but  they  had  both  taken  districts  in  which 
they  distributed  tracts  at  irregular  intervals, 
and  visited  the  homes  where  they  received  a 
welcome.  They  also  assisted  a  number  of  poor 
people  more  or  less  injudiciously,  and  both  had 
255 


St.  Jude's 

collected  in  their  time  for  the  Sustentation  fund. 
When  their  children  demanded  less  personal 
attention  and  they  were  richer  in  experience, 
they  had  entered  the  mothers'  meeting,  and  by- 
and-by  it  passed  into  their  joint  control — Mrs. 
Livingstone  reading  religious  books  of  sound 
doctrine  and  extremely  vigorous  application, 
while  the  mothers  of  the  mission  districts  sewed 
garments  which  had  been  cut  out  by  Mrs. 
Wetherspoon's  clever  hands.  There  was  a  story 
that  on  one  occasion  when  Mrs.  Livingstone  had 
a  sore  throat,  which  prevented  her  reading,  Mrs. 
Wetherspoon,  being  left  to  the  freedom  of  her 
own  will  and  the  frivolous  taste  of  a  deacon's 
wife,  had  read  bits  from  Sir  Walter  to  the 
women,  which  it  is  said  they  greatly  enjoyed. 
This,  however,  was  a  lapse  from  the  high  stand- 
ard of  the  meeting  which  was  never  repeated, 
because  the  next  time  Mrs.  Livingstone  was 
afflicted  with  hoarseness  she  resolutely  attended 
the  meeting,  and  read  with  her  lips  if  not  with 
her  voice,  considering  it  better  that  the  women 
should  hear  nothing  than  that  they  should  be  led 
astray  by  vain  fiction.  Mrs,  Livingstone  had 
256 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

long  been  president  of  the  missionary  society, 
and  it  was  generally  felt  filled  the  chair  with 
great  dignity,  while  her  friend  was  secretary  and 
treasurer,  and  took  good  care  that  the  business 
was  quickly  done  and  the  money  well  husbanded. 

The  ladies  of  St.  Jude's  would  certainly  have 
been  jealous  if  any  other  two  of  their  number 
had  held  so  many  offices  and  ruled  so  firmly, 
but  they  had  come  to  look  upon  the  two  friends 
very  much  in  the  light  of  a  hereditary  monarchy 
whose  representatives  are  separated  by  a  gulf 
from  the  people,  and  with  whom  there  is  no  com- 
petition in  honor.  They  were  at  least  an  estab- 
lished institution  and  were  recognized  as  the 
ordained  female  leaders  of  the  community. 

Personally,  they  were  on  such  terms  of  easy 
and  assured  friendship  that  they  did  not  feel  it 
necessary  to  call  in  turn  at  one  another's  houses 
or  to  maintain  an  absolute  equality  in  dinner  in- 
vitations, or  to  practice  formalities  of  conversa- 
tion when  they  met,  or  to  make  a  point  of  com- 
passing one  another  with  observances. 

They  spent  Saturday  afternoons  together  dis- 
cussing the  affairs  of  the  Commonwealth ;  they 
257 


St.  Jude's 

occasionally  walked  in  the  West  End  Park,  al- 
though women  are  not  given  to  constitutionals; 
they  dropped  into  one  another's  houses  at  any 
hour  if  there  was  business  to  talk  about,  and 
they  spoke  to  one  another  on  their  points  of 
difiference  with  great  frankness.  "Grace,"  Mrs. 
Livingstone  would  say,  "I'm  astonished  at  you ; 
you  are  little  better  than  an  Episcopalian."  And 
Mrs.  Wetherspoon  would  occasionally  take  her 
friend  boldly  to  task.  "That,  Maria,  is  pure 
havers.  You  ought  to  have  lived  a  hundred 
years  ago."  After  these  playful  amenities  they 
would  take  tea  together  with  the  greatest  good 
nature.  It  was  an  evidence  of  their  close  friend- 
ship that  they  called  each  other  by  their  Chris- 
tian names,  for  Scots  people  are  not  given  to 
reckless  and  easy-going  familiarity.  Mrs.  Liv- 
ingstone did  occasionally  address  her  husband 
as  John,  but  was  never  known  to  condescend 
to  any  pet  name,  and  spoke  of  one  lady,  who  re- 
ferred to  her  husband  as  Jack,  as  being  Anglified, 
Mrs.  Wetherspoon,  with  the  greater  freedom 
of  her  manners,  called  Wetherspoon  not  infre- 
quently Sandie,  and  Mrs.  Livingstone,  in  the 
258 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

secrecy  of  her  mind,  would  have  respected  Mr. 
Wetherspoon  more  if  he  had  resented  this  indig- 
nity. His  full  name  was  reserved  for  a  crisis,  and 
if  at  any  time  Mrs.  Wetherspoon,  whose  temper 
always  secured  her  respect,  said  Alexander,  her 
husband  knew  that  he  must  pay  quick  and  close 
attention.  In  short,  so  intimate  were  the  two 
ladies  and  so  many  were  the  bonds  between 
them  that  they  might  have  been  called  David  and 
Jonathan  if  there  had  not  been  a  disability  of 
sex,  besides  the  Scots  hatred  to  every  form  of 
sentiment,  even  with  the  sanction  of  the  Bible. 
When  it  was  whispered  in  St.  Jude's  that  the 
two  friends  had  fallen  out  the  idea  was  scouted 
by  all  knowing  people,  and  the  worthy  woman 
who  had  dared,  with  bated  breath,  to  hint  at 
such  an  incredible  incident,  suffered  severely. 
By-and-by  the  whisper  grew  into  a  rumor  and 
flew  like  wild-fire  through  the  church.  It  was  felt 
as  if  the  end  of  all  things  was  at  hand,  and 
that  if  Mrs.  Livingstone  and  Mrs.  Wetherspoon 
had  broken  up  their  fast  alliance,  there  was  no 
security  for  the  stability  of  any  institution  and 
no  guarantee  for  anyone's  character.  The  Con- 
259 


St.  Jude's 

fession  of  Faith  might  be  abolished  to-morrow, 
and  Mr.  Carmichael  might  be  on  the  eve  of  join- 
ing the  Roman  Church.  The  whole  fabric  of 
things  was  shaken  and  a  general  sense  of  in- 
security spread  through  the  Commonwealth.  It 
was  the  one  subject  of  conversation  in  the 
various  church  circles  and  generally  ended  in 
speculations  regarding  the  cause  of  this  unex- 
pected and  amazing  breach.  As  is  usual  in  such 
cases,  the  suggestions,  to  any  one  who  knew 
the  people,  were  far  wide  of  the  mark.  That 
a  servant  had  gone  from  one  house  to  the  other 
and  carried  some  unfortunate  story,  as  if  either 
of  those  two  high-spirited  women  cared  one 
brass  pin  for  anything  a  servant  said.  That  Mrs. 
Livingstone  had  given  herself  airs  as  an  elder's 
wife  and  refused  to  oblige  Mrs.  Wetherspoon 
with  some  information  because  it  was  session 
business  and  could  not  be  told  to  the  deacons. 
As  if  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  was  concerned  that  her 
husband  was  not  an  elder,  or  wished  for  herself 
the  awful  and  distasteful  responsibility  of  an 
cider's  wife.  That  Wetherspoon,  in  an  adven- 
turous moment,  had  stood  for  the  Town  Council 
260 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

and  obtained  a  seat,  and  that  Mrs.  Livingstone 
felt  that  this  might  end  in  the  Lord-Provostship 
and  place  her  friend  at  an  unscalable  height 
above  her,  while  Mr.  Livingstone  had  been  sim- 
ply besieged  by  deputations  to  contest  a  ward, 
and  had  declined  because  of  the  unspiritual 
character  of  Town  Councillors,  who  certainly,  as 
a  class,  were  more  given  to  feasting  than  to 
praying.  That  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  had  given  a 
dance  which  had  been  freely  spoken  of  in  the 
West  End  for  the  excellence  of  the  supper  and 
the  good  looks  of  the  young  people,  and  that 
Mrs.  Livingstone  was  consumed  with  envy, 
jealousy  and  every  evil  work  over  this  social 
success,  while  as  a  matter  of  fact  she  had  scolded 
Mrs.  Wetherspoon  for  this  concession  to  world- 
liness,  and  had  concluded  by  sending  a  lavish 
gift  of  flowers  for  the  supper-table  and  coming 
round  next  day  under  the  pretense  of  speaking 
about  the  mothers'  meeting,  to  receive  a  full  and 
particular  account  of  Mrs.  Wetherspoon's  func- 
tion. They  were  not  women  to  break  their 
covenant  over  trifles,  like  servants'  gossip  and 
municipal  politics,  and  indeed,  save  in  one  con- 
261 


St.  Jude's 

tingency,  one  could  be  certain  that  they  would 
have  stood  together  in  prosperity  and  adversity, 
through  the  friction  of  different  opinions  and 
the  details  of  church  work,  to  their  life's  end. 
There  is  just  one  cause  which  will  break  up 
such  a  friendship,  but  it  will  do  so  without  fail 
and  without  delay.  It  does  not  matter  who  the 
women  are,  or  how  long  they  have  known  one 
another,  or  how  loyal  they  have  been  to  one 
another,  or  how  many  ties  bind  them  together, 
or  what  mischief  a  rupture  will  do,  their  friend- 
ship will  be  shattered  in  an  hour,  if — do  my 
readers  say  jealousy,  and  are  they  thinking  of 
their  husbands  ?  Nonsense !  Mrs.  Livingstone 
considered  that  Wetherspoon  was  a  useful  man 
in  financial  affairs  and  perfectly  inoffensive  in  his 
manners,  but  she  knew  that  in  no  circumstances 
could  she  ever  have  married  him,  while  Mrs. 
Wetherspoon  had  the  most  profound  respect 
for  Mr.  Livingstone  as  a  man  and  elder,  but 
frequently  offered  thanks  that  she  had  not  been 
tied  to  him  as  a  wife.  Mrs.  Livingstone  even 
allowed  herself  to  complain  of  Wetherspoon  be- 
cause he  had  been  so  fidgety  about  auditing  the 
262 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

accounts  of  the  mothers'  meeting,  and  Mrs. 
Wetherspoon  joined  with  her  friend  against  her 
husband;  while  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  had  hinted, 
not  indistinctly,  that  Livingstone  took  an  over- 
austere  view  of  certain  social  matters,  and  yet 
did  not  strike  a  flash  of  fire  from  his  wife.  But 
there  is  one  thing  you  may  not  do,  unless  you 
wish  to  make  a  wreck  of  friendship  perhaps  for- 
ever, and  that  is  pass  the  slightest  reflection 
upon  any  child  to  its  mother.  She,  of  course, 
may  speak  very  frankly  about  her  children  to 
her  intimates,  saying,  "Of  course  I  know  that 
Jessie  is  not  pretty  or  Archie  is  not  clever,"  but 
another  person  could  only  offer  such  a  remark  at 
the  peril  of  his  life.  Both  the  ladies  knew  this 
as  well  as  you  and  I,  and  while  they  had  taken 
the  most  genuine  interest  in  one  another's  fam- 
ilies they  had  practiced  the  most  careful  reserve, 
not  only  in  criticism,  but  even  in  conversation. 
And  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  to  this  day  has  never 
been  able  to  explain  to  her  husband  or  to 
herself  how  she  made  the  great  mistake  of  her 
good-natured  and  fairly  tactful  life.  But  upon 
her  lay  the  blame  of  the  offense,  although  on 
263 


St.  Jude's 

Mrs.  Livingstone  lay  the  responsibility  of  a  sus- 
tained and  furious  indignation.  And  this  is  the 
verbatim  account  of  the  brief  dialogue  which 
did  all  the  mischief. 

"By-the-way,  Maria,  a  gentleman  who  took 
me  in  to  dinner  last  night  gave  a  glowing  account 
of  that  new  public  school  at  Glenpattock.  He 
says  they  have  the  most  magnificent  grounds 
and  the  best  of  air,  and  that  it  is  the  healthiest 
school  in  Scotland.  They  go  in  largely  for  sport, 
and  many  boys  who  are  not  very  quick  with 
their  heads  but  good  at  games  get  on  there 
splendidly,  and  he  says  that  under  that  kind 
of  training  will  turn  out  quite  useful  men.  I 
thought  I  would  mention  the  matter  to  you  be- 
cause the  Academy  has  got  such  poor  playing- 
fields,  and  your  Harry  is  such  a  swell  at  games." 

"Harry  has  certainly  distinguished  himself  in 
the  sports,  and  I  am  told,  although  of  course 
this  may  not  be  correct,  that  he's  one  of  the 
best  athletes  of  his  age,  but  I  do  not  know  that 
he  is  what  you  would  call  stupid.  He  is  cer- 
tainly not  first  in  his  class  and  he  may  not  be 
quick,  but  many  who  go  slowly  go  surely."  And 
264 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

there  was  a  frost  in  Mrs.  Livingstone's  tone 
which  chilled  Mrs.  Wetherspoon. 

"Of  course  you  know,  Maria,  that  I  didn't 
mean  anything  of  that  sort ;  Harry  is  a  dear 
laddie  and  we  are  all  so  fond  of  him,  and  I've 
often  heard  Sandie  say  that  he  was  sure  he 
would  turn  out  a  good  business  man.  I  simply 
meant  that  an  open-air  school  of  that  sort  with 
lots  of  cricket  and  football  would  suit  him  to 
the  ground."  And  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  looked 
anxiously  at  her  friend,  and  was  alarmed  to 
notice  a  slight  hardening  of  the  eyes,  and  a 
tightening  of  the  mouth,  and  the  faintest  flush 
upon   the   cheek. 

"What  I  understood  you  to  say,"  replied  Mrs. 
Livingstone  with  increasing  acerbity — "and  I  do 
not  think  that  I  am  deaf,  although  of  course  I 
may  not  be  clever  any  more  than  my  son — was 
that  the  Glenpattock  School,  or  whatever  it  is 
called,  had  been  built  for  lads  who  are  too  dull 
to  get  any  good  from  other  schools,  a  sort  of 
home  for  the  feeble-minded,  and  that  immediate- 
ly you  heard  of  it  you  thought  of  my  boy.  If 
Mr.  Livingstone  and  I  had  thought  it  necessary 
265 


St.  Jude's 

to  send  Harry  to  such  an  institution  I  dare  say 
we  would  have  found  one  for  ourselves." 

"How  can  you  put  such  a  meaning  upon  my 
words,  Maria,  as  if  I  had  spoken  of  your  boy 
as  feeble-minded.  You  will  be  saying  next  that 
I  called  Harry  an  idiot.  You  and  I  have  been 
friends  for  a  long  time,  and  we  have  often  had 
arguments,  and  I  never  knew  you  to  be  so  un- 
reasonable and  unjust.  But  you  surely  do  not 
mean  what  you  are  saying?" 

"It  was  not  I  began  the  conversation,  and  I 
certainly  would  never  dream  of  telling  you  where 
to  send  your  boys  to  school,  especially  to  places 
like  Glenpattock.  I  suppose  it's  a  kind  of  refuge 
from  the  way  you  talk,  or  a  reformatory.  I  may 
be  unjust,  though  you  are  the  first  person  who 
has  called  me  so,  and  my  boy  may  be  an  idiot, 
as  you  have  just  hinted,  but  you  will  allow  his 
father  and  myself  to  make  the  best  arrange- 
ments we  can  for  his  education."  And  although 
Mrs.  Wetherspoon  remained  for  half  an  hour 
and,  as  she  described  it  figuratively  to  her  hus- 
band, "explained  till  I  was  breathless,  and 
pleaded  with  her  upon  my  bended  knees,"  Mrs. 
266 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

Livingstone  was  immovable,  and  the  two  friends 
parted  in  very  strained  relations. 

Mrs.  Wetherspoon  had  no  sooner  reached 
home  than  she  wrote  a  letter  of  twelve  pages, 
and  mostly  in  one  sentence,  explaining  that  all 
she  had  done  was  through  friendship;  that  she 
would  never  dream  of  calling  Harry  Living- 
stone any  horrid  name ;  that  she  had  gone  away 
most  miserable ;  that  she  was  sure  she  would 
cry  all  night ;  that  she  never  thought  her  old 
friend  would  turn  against  her  so  suddenly,  and 
that  she  hoped  she  would  send  her  a  line  saying 
that  the  misunderstanding  was  over,  and  that 
they  were  as  good  friends  as  ever.  This  might 
have  been  written  on  two  pages,  and  been  quite 
intelligible.  As  it  was  repeated  in  various  forms 
and  in  defiance  of  all  the  laws  of  grammar,  with 
no  punctuation,  over  twelve  pages,  it  became 
almost  incoherent,  but  left  the  impression  on 
Mrs.  Livingstone's  mind  that  Mrs.  Wetherspoon 
had  called  Harry  a  number  of  horrid  names,  of 
which  she  could  now  remember  several ;  and  that 
when  she,  Mrs.  Livingstone,  had  offered  the 
most  mild  and  courteous  remonstrance  that  ever 
267 


St.  Jude's 

fell  from  a  mother's  lips,  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  had 
accused  her  of  ingratitude  for  their  old  friend- 
ship, and  most  unladylike  language.  So  she  an- 
swered in  a  brief  note,  and  instead  of  writing 
"Grace,"  she  wrote,  "My  dear  Mrs.  Wether- 
spoon." The  other  replied  next  morning,  re- 
peating all  she  had  said  before,  and  aggra- 
vating the  offense  by  denying  that  she  had 
used  the  word  idiot,  and  finished  by  showing 
the  faintest  trace  of  temper  on  her  own 
account,  as  one  who  had  been  wilfully  misun- 
derstood and  unkindly  spoken  to,  and  she 
began  her  letter  with  "My  dear  Mrs.  Living- 
stone." Mrs.  Livingstone  contented  herself  in 
her  answer  with  eight  pages,  in  which  she  re- 
ferred to  the  language  which  Mrs.  Wetherspoon 
had  used  about  her  son,  and  which  she  accepted 
as  a  deliberate  insult.  And  with  regard  to  the 
unkindness,  she  reminded  Mrs.  Wetherspoon 
that  it  was  she  who  was  responsible  for  the 
whole  aflfair.  This  time  she  dropped  "my,"  and 
confined  herself  to  "Dear  Mrs.  Wetherspoon." 
That  afternoon,  and  before  Wetherspoon  got 
home  from  his  office,  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  had 
268 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

sent  a  letter,  this  time  only  of  six  pages,  in 
which  she  declared  that  she  had  never  insulted 
any  one  in  her  life,  and  the  last  person  she 
would  have  wished  to  insult  was  Mrs,  Living- 
stone ;  that  she  had  always  considered  that  lady 
her  friend,  although  in  this  she  might  now  be 
mistaken ;  and  that  she  had  always  appeared  to 
get  a  welcome  in  Mrs.  Livingstone's  house,  al- 
though she  supposed  now  the  wish  was  father 
to  the  thought ;  and  that,  in  regard  to  the  begin- 
ning of  the  quarrel,  she  was  bound  to  say,  al- 
though she  did  it  with  regret,  that  she  regarded 
it  as  nothing  but  a  piece  of  bad  temper  on  the 
part  of  Mrs.  Livingstone.  This  letter,  of  course, 
began  "Dear  Mrs.  Livingstone."  The  reply  was 
sent  by  messenger  that  evening  in  order  that  it 
might  be  digested  in  the  night  watches,  and  in 
face  of  a  strong  protest  from  Mr.  Livingstone. 
It  ran  as  follows :  "Mrs.  Livingstone  presents 
her  compliments  to  Mrs.  Wetherspoon,  and  de- 
clines to  have  any  further  correspondence  with 
that  lady."  And  had  not  Wetherspoon  exercised 
his  authority  for  once,  in  a  very  determined 
fashion,  a  reply  would  have  gone  to  Mrs.  Liv- 
269 


St.  Jude's 

ingstone,  even  though  her  household  had  to  be 
roused  to  receive  it  that  night,  explaining  that 
she  not  only  did  not  wish  to  write  to  Mrs.  Living- 
stone, but  that  she  never  wished  to  speak  to  her 
again.  This  final  flight  of  letter  writing  her  hus- 
band prevented,  but  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  wept 
herself  to  sleep,  and  Wetherspoon  knew  that 
there  was  to  be  big,  black  trouble,  not  only  for 
the  women,  but  for  their  husbands. 

Persons  who  cultivate  a  philosophical  habit 
and  argue  about  affairs  as  if  they  were  seated 
in  a  diving-bell  in  the  depths  of  the  ocean,  point 
out  that  a  husband  need  not  be  involved  in  his 
wife's  quarrel,  if  he  does  not  approve  of  it,  and 
that  it  is  his  duty  to  take  up  a  neutral  attitude. 
As  if !  Of  course  Livingstone  and  Wetherspoon 
were  not  only  greatly  vexed,  but  in  the  secret 
of  their  hearts  bitterly  ashamed  of  their  wives' 
explosion,  and  neither  of  them,  always  in  the 
secret  of  their  hearts,  believed  that  there  was 
any  reasonable  ground  for  the  quarrel — men 
never  do  believe  that  about  women's  quarrels. 
Livingstone  ventured  to  hint  to  his  spouse  that 
she  surely  had  misunderstood  Grace  Wether- 
270 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

spoon,  and  his  belief  that  in  no  circumstances 
would  that  good-natured  woman  call  their  boy 
Harry  an  idiot.  But  when  the  partner  of  his 
joys  and  sorrows  retorted  that  the  only  other 
explanation  was  that  she  must  be  an  idiot,  he 
allowed  the  discussion  to  drop.  Wetherspoon,  in 
the  most  conciliatory  manner,  put  it  to  his  help- 
meet whether  she  had  not  got  a  little  heated 
and  allowed  her  temper  to  master  her  in  the 
last  chapter  of  the  correspondence ;  but  when  his 
life-companion  asked  him  whether  after  all  those 
years  he  was  going  to  side  with  that  termagant, 
Maria  Livingstone,  against  his  own  wife,  he 
made  an  abrupt  retreat.  When  the  men  met  in 
the  city  it  was  with  an  uneasy  manner  and  a 
comic  look  of  mutual  sympathy.  Neither  dared 
to  say  a  word  which  would  commit  himself  or 
his  wife,  but  the  code  on  their  faces  being  inter- 
preted, ran  thus :  "Those  women.  Of  course 
there  is  no  reason  for  all  this  uproar,  but  no 
words  of  ours  can  put  out  the  flame;  we  are 
quite  as  good  friends  as  ever,  but  we  must 
stand  each  by  his  own  wife,  so  let  us  pass  with 
a  nod  instead  of  speaking  and  assume  a  con- 
271 


St.  Jude's 

strained  manner  when  we  meet  in  company.  But 
you  and  I,  old  man,  are  just  the  same  friends  as 
before.  It  is  our  little  burden  and  we  must 
shoulder  it." 

Carmichael,  with  the  dew  of  his  youth  still 
upon  him  and  that  confidence  of  wisdom  which 
is  the  monopoly  of  persons  under  thirty  years 
of  age,  took  the  settlement  of  the  quarrel  in 
hand,  and  went  to  deal  with  the  two  matrons,  to 
the  great  amusement  of  his  wife.  Both  ladies  re- 
ceived him  with  cold  and  careful  courtesy,  and 
both  expressed  their  deep  regret  for  the  breach 
of  friendship ;  both  listened  to  Carmichael's  ac- 
count of  the  injury  which  the  rupture  of  those 
two  notabilities  was  causing  in  the  church  life 
of  St.  Jude's,  with  a  consideration  and  polite 
regret  which  were  very  encouraging  to  the  min- 
ister. When,  however,  he  reached  the  conclusion 
of  the  whole  matter  and  pressed  for  a  reconcilia- 
tion in  which  he  was  willing  to  be  the  mediator, 
Mrs.  Livingstone  explained  that  as  a  Christian 
woman  who  would  require  forgiveness  at  the 
Judgment  Day,  she  freely  forgave  Mrs.  Wether- 
spoon,  but  that  she  never  could  again  speak  to 
273 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

a  woman  who  had  deliberately  called  her  son  an 
idiot.  And  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  explained  to  the 
minister  that  she  had  no  grudge  against  Mrs. 
Livingstone  and  would  always  be  willing  to  do 
her  a  good  turn  if  she  could,  but  that  she  would 
never  willingly  be  in  the  same  room  with  a 
woman  who  had  knowingly  perverted  her  words, 
and  accused  her  of  insulting  her  family.  Car- 
michael  was  not  easily  abashed,  but  after  listen- 
ing to  his  two  parishioners,  and  after  consider- 
ing the  form  of  their  countenance,  he  went  home 
to  Kate  a  much  humbler  man,  and  he  learned  in 
that  day  that  it  may  be  difficult  to  reconcile  the 
will  of  the  Deity  with  the  freedom  of  the  human 
will,  but  that  it  is  much  more  difficult  to  make 
peace  between  two  angry  women,  which  was  a 
very  wholesome  lesson  for  a  callow  young  min- 
ister. That  is  how  the  breach  was  made,  but 
the  healing  thereof  is  another  story. 

Whether  the  quarrel  between  Mrs.  Living- 
stone and  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  could  be  consid- 
ered a  little  fire,  it  was  a  great  matter  which  it 
kindled  in  St.  Jude's,  and  no  department  of  the 
church  life  was  hid  from  the  heat  thereof.  When 
273 


St.  Jude's 

it  was  known  that  the  disruption  was  final,  and 
that  the  two  families — though  of  course  that 
only  meant  the  two  women — were  determined 
belligerents,  it  was  necessary  to  readjust  various 
church  arrangements.  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  im- 
mediately resigned  the  secretaryship  of  the  la- 
dies' missionary  society,  but  Mrs.  Livingstone 
had  anticipated  her  by  retiring  from  the  presi- 
dency, for  both  those  devoted  Christian  workers 
felt  it  impossible  to  meet  under  the  same  roof, 
no  room  was  now  big  enough  to  hold  them  to- 
gether. Mr.  Livingstone  now  absented  himself 
from  the  deacons'  court,  in  which  as  an  elder 
he  had  a  right  to  be  present,  and  of  course  his 
real  reason  was  that  he  had  been  accustomed  to 
sit  next  his  old  friend,  and  he  did  not  care  to 
take  such  a  marked  step  as  changing  his  seat ; 
but  he  casually  explained  that  he'd  always 
thought  it  unfair,  although  quite  constitutional, 
that  elders  should  not  only  attend  their  own 
court,  but  also  swamp  the  deacons  in  theirs.  The 
rota  of  office-bearers  who  stood  behind  the  col- 
lection plate  at  the  church  door  on  Sundays  had 
to  be  changed,  because  those  two  excellent  men 
274 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

had  been  assigned  at  their  own  wish  to  the 
same  day,  that  they  might  have  a  friendly  but 
subdued  talk  together  while  they  stood  like 
graven  images  at  the  receipt  of  custom.  The  one 
concern  in  appointing  a  committee  used  to  be 
that  the  most  suitable  men  were  selected,  but 
now  it  was  that  those  two  names  should  be  kept 
separate.  It  was  customary  in  those  days  that 
a  host  and  hostess  gave  two  dinners  in  succes- 
sion, for  various  practical  reasons  of  meats  and 
drinks  and  servants  and  such-like  details,  but  the 
arrangement  had  now  a  new  convenience,  be- 
cause the  Livingstones  could  be  asked  on  the 
Thursday  and  the  Wetherspoons  on  the  Friday. 
A  Gentile  family  who  did  not  know  what  had 
happened  within  the  Israel  of  St.  Jude's  includ- 
ed them  both  among  the  guests  of  one  evening, 
and  the  things  which  happened  are  too  painful 
to  be  related  for  family  reading.  Both  families 
timed  their  arrival  at  the  church  so  that  there 
might  be  no  danger  of  meeting;  but  one  morn- 
ing there  was  a  miscalculation  in  time,  and  the 
two  ladies  entered  the  vestibule  at  the  same 
moment,  with  heads  erect,  seeing  nothing  but 
275 


St.  Jude's 

a  distant  imaginary  landscape,  while  their 
shame-stricken  and  miserable  husbands  shambled 
in  the  rear.  Parties  were  formed  and  pursued 
a  guerilla  warfare,  one  accusing  Mrs.  Wether- 
spoon  of  an  insolence  which  no  mother  of  a 
family  could  take  at  her  hands,  and  the  other 
describing  the  pride  of  Mrs.  Livingstone  as  be- 
ing beyond  the  endurance  even  of  a  Christian 
martyr.  Incidents  were  invented  and  phrases 
were  coined  and  a  rich  and  varied  legend  began 
to  gather  round  the  feud  of  the  Livingstones  and 
the  Wetherspoons.  During  all  this  time  there 
were  not  two  more  unhappy  women  in  the  city, 
and  although  both  matrons  denied  indignantly 
any  desire  for  reconciliation,  they  would  have 
given  a  considerable  portion  of  their  substance  if 
things  were  with  them  as  in  the  days  of  old. 

When  the  breach  became  a  fact  Mrs.  Living- 
stone treated  it  very  seriously,  as  if  it  were  a 
disagreement  between  two  nations,  and  laid 
down  laws  for  what  might  be  called  the  humane 
conduct  of  the  war.  She  explained  to  her  hus- 
band that  whatever  might  have  happened  be- 
tween her  and  Grace  Wetherspoon,  she  had 
276 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

made  up  her  mind  that  the  conflict  should  be 
confined  to  themselves ;  for  her  part  she  would 
discuss  the  matter  with  no  person,  and  would 
never  mention  Mrs.  Wetherspoon's  name  either 
abroad  or  in  the  bosom  of  her  family,  with  the 
practical  result  that  the  long-suffering  man  heard 
the  case  reviewed  every  second  night  in  camera. 
None  of  her  friends  were  to  be  in  any  way  in- 
fluenced by  this  unfortunate  misunderstanding 
between  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  and  herself;  at  the 
same  time  she  treated  with  marked  coldness  any 
one  who  showed  the  slightest  sympathy  with 
the  other  side.  Above  all,  the  young  people  of 
the  families  must  not  be  involved  in  this  con- 
flict of  their  mothers,  but  she  was  sure  that  Mrs. 
Wetherspoon  would  not  wish  to  see  any  of  the 
Livingstones  in  her  house,  or  would  allow  any  of 
the  Wetherspoons  to  come  to  Mrs.  Livingstone's 
house.  There  was  a  pretense  of  keeping  the 
matter  from  the  children,  but  they  very  soon 
got  an  inkling  of  it  and  put  two  and  two  to- 
gether by  that  instinct,  rather  than  under- 
standing, which  is  given  to  young  people. 
The  girls,  sad  to  say,  entered  into  the  situation 
277 


St.  Jude's 

with  zest,  and  showed  considerable  skill  in  say- 
ing disagreeable  things  and  conveying  by  their 
manner  a  sense  of  just  indignation,  but  the  boys 
behaved  in  a  characteristic,  blundering,  shameful 
fashion.  They  played  their  games  in  perfect 
good-fellowship  and  m^de  joint  visits  to  the 
tuck-shop  with  undiminished  cordiality,  and  fol- 
lowed out  any  common  quarrels  with  the  most 
perfect  loyalty,  and  the  worst  offender  in  this 
indifference  to  a  family  feud  was  the  cause  of  it 
all,  that  unfortunate  lad,  Harry  Livingstone. 
When  his  sisters  said  spiteful  things  about  the 
Wetherspoons,  he  called  them  "cats,"  and  when 
they  retorted  that  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  had  called 
him  an  idiot,  he  said  frankly  that  he  believed  it 
was  a  beastly  cram,  and  then,  with  a  fine  want 
of  logic,  that  if  she  did,  he  didn't  care,  for  he 
had  been  called  a  lot  worse  names  by  his  form 
master;  that  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  was  the  jolliest 
woman  in  the  whole  West  End ;  and  he  didn't 
know  any  house  where  there  were  better  tea- 
cakes;  and  that  if  any  one  could  show  him  a 
better  bat  than  the  one  she  had  given  him  at 
his  birthday  last  year,  and  with  which  he  had  run 
278  . 


Euodias  and  Syntychc 

up  a  score  of  forty-two  not  out,  in  the  inter- 
school  match,  he  would  go  a  long  distance  to 
see  it.  He  even  declared  that  the  whole  quarrel 
was  disgusting  tommy-rot,  and  that  he  wasn't 
going  to  give  up  the  Wetherspoons  for  any- 
body. With  that  extraordinary  genius  of  boys 
for  picking  up  the  things  in  a  sermon  which  they 
ought  not  to  hear,  and  bringing  them  out  at  the 
most  inconvenient  season,  Harry  crowned  all  his 
iniquity  by  asking  the  assembled  family  one  day 
whether  Christians  ought  not  to  forgive  one 
another,  as  Carmichael  had  been  preaching  for 
all  he  was  worth  that  forenoon,  and  if  they 
weren't  going  to  forgive  Mrs.  Wetherspoon,  how 
his  sisters  could  have  the  impudence  to  repeat 
the  Lord's  Prayer?  This  unexpected  outbreak 
of  practical  theology  was  felt  to  be  intolerable, 
and,  under  the  guidance  of  his  wife's  eye,  Mr. 
Livingstone  rebuked  Harry  for  meddling  with 
things  which  he  did  not  understand,  and  told  him 
plainly  that,  for  a  boy,  those  easy  allusions  to 
the  Lord's  Prayer  were  nothing  short  of  pro- 
fanity, and  must  not  be  repeated  at  that  table. 
When  his  mother  took  him  aside  afterward 
279 


St.  Jude's 

and  told  him  how  much  she  had  been  hurt  by  his 
words,  and  that  she  had  always  thought  until  that 
day  that  he  loved  her,  Harry  was  absolutely 
confounded,  and  resolved  to  return  to  his  old 
habit  in  church  of  paying  no  attention  to  ser- 
mons, as  they  were  evidently  beyond  the  com- 
prehension of  all  persons  under,  say,  thirty 
years  of  age,  and  occupying  his  mind  with  a  re- 
view of  the  cricket  matches  of  the  season. 

Mrs.  Livingstone  felt,  however,  that  there  was 
no  limit  to  the  mischief  which  Harry,  with  his 
unnatural  affection  for  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  and 
his  heterodox  ideas  of  Christian  forgiveness, 
might  not  do,  and  when  she  found  that  at  the 
spring  holidays  he  was  going  to  leave  his  family 
of  white  mice  under  the  charge  of  a  friendly  ser- 
vant at  the  Wetherspoons'  house,  she  felt  that 
as  a  Christian  and  a  mother,  and  from  the  high- 
est sense  of  duty,  she  must  make  a  stand. 

"Harry,"  she  said,  "in  consequence  of  your 
conduct  I  must  touch  upon  a  matter  which  is 
very  painful  to  me,  and  which  I  have  tried  to 
keep  from  the  family.  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  has 
acted  in  a  way  which  I  shall  not  describe,  and 
280 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

which  I  never  could  have  expected ;  while  she 
continues  in  her  present  state  of  mind  it  is  im- 
possible for  me  to  meet  her,  and  I  do  not  think 
It  would  be  right.  We  cannot,  you  know,  Harry, 
forgive  any  person  unless  she  is  penitent,  and 
that  is  the  reason  why  I  am  obliged  to  act  in 
this  way  to  Mrs.  Wetherspoon.  You  will  under- 
stand this  better  when  you  are  older,  Harry,  and 
you  must  just  believe  that  I  have  no  alternative 
as  a  Christian,  and  that  what  I  am  doing  is  really 
for  Mrs.  Wetherspoon's  own  good.  And  so, 
Harry" — which  was  rather  an  abrupt  descent 
from  the  high  level  on  which  she  had  been  pro- 
cessing— "I  must  ask  you  not  to  take  your  mice 
to  Mrs.  Wetherspoon's." 

"All  right,  mother.  I  can't  get  the  hang  of 
things,  and  I  suppose  you  know  best.  I  can 
easily  board  out  the  beasties  at  some  other  place  ; 
there  are  lots  of  chaps  who  are  not  going  to  the 
seaside  just  now,  and  they'll  be  jolly-well  glad  to 
have  them."  But  as  Harry  had  promised  to  take 
the  mice  that  evening  to  Mrs.  Wetherspoon's, 
who  was  one  of  the  few  women  not  afraid  of 
mice,  and  who  used  to  allow  them  to  run  over 
281 


St.  Jude's 

her  and  hide  themselves  in  her  sleeves,  Harry, 
y^lth  some  qualms  of  conscience,  made  a  clandes- 
tine visit,  and  in  a  shamefaced  manner  explained 
the  situation, 

"Of  course  you  must  do  v^^hat  your  mother 
tells  you,  Harry,  and  I  don't  know  any  boy  who 
has  a  better  mother.  I'm  awfully  sorry  about  all 
this,  but  I  only  want  to  say  to  you  that  we  feel 
just  the  same  to  you,  and  that  we  hope  you'll 
have  an  A  I  holiday." 

"I  say,  Mrs.  Wetherspoon,"  and  Harry  fum- 
bled with  his  cap  and  grew  very  red  in  the 
face,  "I  wish  that  I  could — you  know  what  I 
mean — but  there  isn't  much  a  chap  can  do,  but  I 
want  awfully." 

"I  know  what  you  mean,  Harry,  and  when 
the  trouble's  over  no  one  will  be  so  glad  as  you." 
And  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  would  have  kissed  him, 
but  that  would  have  been  offensive. 

"I  was  so  sorry,  Sandie,  for  Harry  Living- 
stone this  evening,"  when  she  told  the  incident. 
"Whether  he's  clever  or  not,  he  is  one  of  the 
decentest  fellows,  I  am  certain,  in  the  whole 
academy;  he's  so  honest  and  straight,  and  sen- 
282 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

sible  and  manly.  But  I'm  afraid  it  will  take  older 
and  wiser  people  than  poor  Harry  to  restore  the 
past."  But  it  was  Harry  who  did  it  after  all. 

There  were  many  theories  about  the  outbreak 
of  typhoid  fever  in  the  West  End  of  the  city 
that  summer,  and  the  newspapers  gave  the  hos- 
pitality of  their  columns  to  every  correspondent 
not  hopelessly  unintelligible  or  obviously  insane. 
It  was  said  to  have  been  caused  by  the  milk, 
which  was  brought  from  a  farm  where  the  sani- 
tation was  of  that  easy-going  kind  characteristic 
of  rural  homesteads  last  century ;  that  it  was  the 
result  of  a  new  drainage  scheme,  full  of  strange 
contrivances,  and  over  which  the  parties  in  the 
Council  had  hotly  fought ;  that  it  had  been 
brought  to  the  city  by  rats  from  Germany,  and 
afforded  another  instance  of  the  folly  of  allow- 
ing such  a  free  importation  of  foreign  articles; 
that  it  could  be  traced  to  the  excessive  use  of 
ice  cream  made  by  ItaHans  of  uncleanly  habits. 
There  were  other  theories — thirty-seven  in  all — 
and  fifteen  resolutions  were  passed  by  various 
bodies  more  or  less  scientific,  but  our  concern 
is  with  the  fact  that  typhoid  somehow  or  other 
383 


St.  Jude's 

broke  out  in  a  great  many  homes,  and  that  one 
of  the  worst  cases  was  that  of  Harry  Living- 
stone. 

It  is  a  slow  and  very  treacherous  disease,  and 
no  one  can  say  for  a  while  how  things  are  going 
and  then,  when  the  patient  is  recovering,  it  can 
play  such  tricks  and  make  such  unexpected  at- 
tacks that  no  one  is  certain  whether  he  may  not 
be  taken  ofi  in  the  end.  As  soon  as  it  was  known 
that  Harry  was  down,  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  was 
anxious,  but  as  her  wrath  against  Mrs.  Living- 
stone was  still  burning  fiercely  she  did  not  dream 
of  opening  any  direct  communication,  nor  would 
she  go  the  length  of  employing  her  husband  as  a 
scout.  She  knew  just  as  well  as  Mrs.  Living- 
stone that  the  two  men  were  sick  nigh  unto  death, 
and  openly  ashamed  before  the  city,  of  this  feud, 
and  she  suspected  that  they  saw  one  another 
from  time  to  time  and  exchanged  condolences ; 
but  there  are  things  which  a  wise  woman  will  not 
notice  or  mention.  Mrs.  Wetherspoon,  there- 
fore, established  an  elaborate  intelligence  depart- 
ment, and  by  means  of  the  tradespeople,  and  by 
the  occasional  use  of  the  servants,  and  by  calling 
284 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

on  friends  who  belonged  to  no  party  and  lived 
in  the  neutral  zone,  and  by  questioning  her  own 
doctor,  who  was  a  neighbor  of  the  Livingstones' 
doctor,  she  obtained  daily  bulletins,  partially 
trustworthy,  of  Harry's  condition.  When 
through  those  varied  and  sometimes  contradic- 
tory sources  of  information  she  learned  that  the 
case  was  serious,  and  that  as  the  crisis  ap- 
proached he  seemed  very  weak,  she  determined 
on  stronger  steps,  and  made  a  new  departure. 

"Sandie,"  she  said  suddenly  to  her  husband 
one  evening  after  dinner,  "Mrs.  Govan,  the  green 
grocer,  told  me  that  the  Livingstones'  cook  had 
been  in  her  shop  this  morning  and  gave  a  bad 
account  of  poor  Harry.  The  fever  has  been  very 
severe,  and  the  doctors  take  an  anxious  view 
of  the  case.  Could  you  manage  to  come  across 
Mr.  Livingstone  to-morrow  and  get  the  real 
truth  from  him?  After  our  own  laddies  there's 
no  boy  in  the  city  I  like  so  much  as  Harry  Liv- 
ingstone, and  I  can't  forget  that  evening  when 
he  came  here  and  said  he  wanted  to  make  up  the 
quarrel.  I  will  not  on  any  account  write  to  Mrs. 
Livingstone,  in  case  she  should  say  I  had  in- 
285 


St.  Jude's 

suited  her  again,  and  I  will  not  send  to  the  house, 
for  I  suppose  that  would  not  be  acceptable.  But 
I  want  you  to  find  out  how  it  goes  with  Harry." 

From  that  time  Wetherspoon  went  openly 
twice  a  day  to  Livingstone's  office,  in  the  morn- 
ing when  Livingstone  had  arrived  from  home, 
and  in  the  afternoon  when  information  had 
come  down,  to  inquire  for  Harry.  There  is  not 
much  passes  between  men,  for  in  their  times  of 
trouble  they  are  almost  inarticulate,  but  as  the 
reports  grew  darker  there  was  no  mistake  about 
the  concern  on  the  visitor's  face,  and  one  after- 
noon he  shook  hands  with  Livingstone  as  he 
was  leaving  and  murmured  incoherently,  "Well, 
must  be  going.  Fine  lad,  Harry ;  all  love  him  at 
our  house.  The  wife  is  very  anxious.  Wonder 
how  long  this  hot  weather  will  continue?  Please 
God  he  will  recover."  Which  was  not  very  gram- 
matical, and  rather  irrelevant,  but  quite  suffi- 
cient. 

"Thank  you,  Wetherspoon,  very  friendly  call- 
ing this  way.  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  always  fond  of 
Harry.  The  country's  needing  rain.  More  news 
about  three  o'clock."  Which  was  also  rather 
286 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

confused,  but  quite  sufficient  for  two  male 
animals. 

When  Wetherspoon  brought  home  this  omi- 
nous report  and  gave  an  impressionist  sketch  of 
Livingstone's  unconcealed  anxiety,  Mrs.  Wether- 
spoon broke  one  of  the  resolutions  which  she 
had  laid  down  with  great  firmness,  and  that  even- 
ing a  housemaid  went  to  the  Livingstones'  to 
inquire  for  Harry.  She  was  instructed  to  give  no 
name  and  no  information,  but  to  obtain  as  par- 
ticular an  account  as  she  could  how  it  fared  with 
the  lad  at  the  close  of  the  day.  It  was  the  par- 
lormaid who  was  sent  next  morning  with  the 
same  safeguards,  so  that  no  one  in  the  opposite 
camp  might  know  whence  those  spies  had  come, 
and  in  the  evening  the  cook  took  up  the  duty. 

For  three  days  Mrs.  Wetherspoon's  own  per- 
sonal scouts  brought  her  word  morning,  noon 
and  night,  while  in  the  evening  her  husband  re- 
inforced her  with  news  from  Livingstone's  own 
lips.  No  one  outside  the  Livingstones'  house 
could  have  been  more  distressed  or  more  eager 
for  intelligence.  And  when  on  the  fourth  day 
the  reports  were  gloomy  in  the  extreme,  and 
287 


St.  Jude's 

Wetherspoon  declared  his  belief,  from  what  he 
had  heard  from  the  father  and  the  sight  of  his 
face,  that  Harry  was  dying,  his  wife,  after  a  brave 
show  of  composure,  gave  up  dinner  and  could 
not  conceal  her  distress.  In  any  circumstances 
she  would  have  keenly  felt  the  situation,  for 
Harry  had  always  been  a  great  favorite  with  her, 
but  it  doubled  her  regret  that  it  was  this  lad, 
whom  she  thought  so  much  of,  that  she  was 
supposed  to  have  called  by  an  opprobrious 
name ;  and  now  if  the  report  be  true  he  was 
dying.  He  was  such  a  good-looking,  modest,  un- 
affected, civil  lad,  who  had  always  played  the 
game  and  always  did  the  right  thing;  he  had 
come  so  often  to  the  house,  bringing  his  mice 
and  other  pets ;  he  had  always  joined  her  on  the 
cricket  field  when  his  side  were  in,  and  chatted 
with  her;  he  had  often  stayed  with  them  at  the 
seaside,  and  gone  excursions  with  them. 

To  think,  that  over  Harry  they  had  stormed, 
and  that  he  had  tried  to  be  the  healer  of  the 
quarrel.  And  now  he  was  battling  for  his  life, 
and  it  would  not  matter  to  him  soon  what  he 
was  called,  or  how  they  quarreled,  for  his  little 
288 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

share  of  life  would  be  done.  The  pathos  of  it 
came  over  Mrs.  Wetherspoon,  who  had  some- 
thing of  the  Celt's  quick  and  impulsive  nature, 
and  she  rose  suddenly  as  if  a  thought  had  stung 
her,  and  left  the  room  to  break  her  word  for  the 
second  time.  Putting  on  a  hat  which  she  wore  at 
the  seaside,  and  an  old  shawl,  she  hurried  like 
one  to  whom  every  minute  is  precious,  down 
their  terrace  and  round  the  comer,  and  up  the 
terrace  behind,  till  she  came  to  the  Livingstones' 
door.  Standing  on  the  street  she  looked  up  at 
the  house,  every  room  of  which  she  knew,  and 
identified  the  bedroom  where  Harry  was  lying. 
She  constructed  the  scene  within ;  the  wasted 
form,  the  pinched,  unconscious  face,  the  faint 
moaning,  the  constant  restlessness,  the  nurse 
and  mother  by  the  bed,  the  father  going  out  and 
in,  the  family  in  the  rooms  below  speaking  in 
whispers,  learning  their  lessons  for  a  few  min- 
utes and  then  giving  them  up,  moving  about  here 
and  there.  For  a  moment  she  hesitated,  and  then 
she  mounted  the  steps  and  gently  rang  the  bell. 
The  servant  who  opened  the  door,  a  sympathetic 
West  Highlander  whom  she  knew,  recognized 
289 


St.  Jude's 

her,  and  at  the  sight  of  Mrs.  Wetherspoon, 
through  the  conflict  of  various  emotions,  began 
to  weep. 

"How  is  Harry?"  asked  Mrs.  Wetherspoon 
without  preHminaries,  for  other  things  were  be- 
ginning to  be  forgotten.  "Is  he  still  alive  ?" 

"He  iss  breathing,  and  that  is  all  they  will  be 
telling  me.  Ochone,  but  he  wass  a  fine  made 
lad,  and  good  at  the  games  and  a  pleasant  tongue 
he  had  to  man  and  woman.  And  it  wass  you, 
Mrs.  Wetherspoon,  that  loved  him  well." 

"Do  not  say,  Morag,  that  I  was  here,  for  there 
are  reasons  why  I  do  not  want  it  known,  but  I 
could  not  rest  till  I  knew  for  myself  how  it  went 
with  Harry.  May  God  spare  the  laddie,  for 
there  are  many  who  love  him."  And  Mrs.  Weth- 
erspoon departed  swiftly. 

As  it  happened,  while  they  were  speaking  to- 
gether, Mrs.  Livingstone,  who  had  been  in  the 
dining-room  endeavoring  to  get  what  comfort 
she  could  from  the  doctor,  crossed  the  hall  and 
caught  the  sound  of  her  former  friend's  voice. 
She  did  not  hear  what  she  was  saying,  but  she 
marked  that  there  was,  as  it  were,  the  sound  of 
290 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

tears  in  her  words,  and  when  the  door  closed  she 
turned  into  the  drawing-room,  whose  window 
commanded  the  terrace,  for  she  knew  that  if  it 
was  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  she  would  come  that  way. 
Below  the  window  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  had  halted 
for  a  moment,  because — there  was  no  doubt 
of  it — she  was  weeping.  During  Harry's  illness 
his  mother  had  passed  through  many  moods. 
First  she  was  angrier  at  the  thought  of  how  he 
had  been  spoken  of;  then  she  grew  indifferent 
to  everything  that  had  happened,  as  her  whole 
mind  was  concentrated  on  her  boy's  condition ; 
and  latterly,  as  the  shadow  of  death  seemed  to 
be  settling  upon  his  face,  her  heart,  full  of  ten- 
derness toward  him,  embraced  all  his  friends,  and 
began  to  grow  soft  even  toward  Grace  Wether- 
spoon. Livingstone  had  not  failed  to  tell  how 
anxious  Wetherspoon  was,  and  it  had  come  also 
to  the  mother's  ears  that  many  indirect  inquiries 
had  been  made.  The  errands  of  the  servants  had 
not  been  perfectly  concealed,  and  now  Grace  her- 
self had  swallowed  her  pride  and  forgotten  her 
anger,  and  at  this  late  hour  was  inquiring  in  per- 
son for  the  lad,  and  was  broken  by  the  bad  news. 
291 


St.  Jude*s 

When  Mrs.  Livingstone  went  upstairs  and 
prayed  that  it  might  be  God's  will  to  spare  her 
son,  she  did  so  with  a  more  Christian  heart  than 
for  a  year  past.  Early  next  morning,  before  nine 
o'clock,  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  was  again  at  the 
door.  When  she  was  told  that  Harry  had  taken 
a  turn  for  the  better  through  the  night,  and  that 
the  doctors,  who  had  just  left,  held  out  hope  that 
he  might  live,  she  wept  for  the  second  time  out- 
side the  Livingstones'  door,  but  now  for  joy  and 
not  for  sorrow.  And  somehow,  whoever  was 
to  blame,  this  came  by-and-by  also  to  Mrs.  Liv- 
ingstone's ears. 

When  a  strong  and  clean-blooded  lad  like 
Livingstone  gets  the  turn,  he  makes  quick  work 
of  his  recovery.  Four  weeks  from  that  time, 
having  grown  in  strength  every  day,  and  having 
been  seasoned  by  certain  drives  with  his  delighted 
mother,  he  announced  his  intention  of  going  out 
for  a  walk  in  the  sun  along  the  terrace.  And  his 
mother,  knowing  the  ways  of  boys  and  that 
nothing  would  please  him  better  than  making 
his  own  little  excursion,  charged  him  not  to  go 
far,  and  to  go  slowly  and  to  keep  in  the  sun, 
393 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

and  to  come  home  within  fifteen  minutes.  She 
watched  him  make  his  cautious  way  along  the 
terrace,  and  then  with  the  adventurousness  of 
boys,  turn  round  the  corner  and  disappear  from 
her  sight.  No  doubt  he  was  going  to  make  the 
circle  of  the  terrace  behind,  which  happened  to 
be  where  the  Wetherspoons  lived,  and  to  return 
the  other  way,  but  when  the  fifteen  minutes  be- 
came twenty,  his  mother  grew  nervous,  and  when 
they  reached  half  an  hour  she  went  out  in  search 
of  him.  When  he  was  to  be  found  neither  on  his 
own  terrace  nor  on  the  Wetherspoons',  she  knew 
not  what  to  make  of  it,  till  a  strange  idea  struck 
her.  He  had  his  own  ways  and  his  own  thoughts, 
as  boys  have,  for  there  is  more  sentim.ent  in  a 
boy,  though  he  conceals  it  in  the  depths  of  his 
soul,  than  in  seventeen  girls,  though  they  pro- 
claim it  to  the  heavens.  She  would  not  make  a 
mistake  for  the  world,  but  she  must  find  where 
he  was,  and  it  was  worth  trying.  Mrs.  Living- 
stone came  slowly  down  the  other  terrace,  and 
while  she  seemed  to  be  admiring  the  garden  in 
front  of  the  houses,  she  was  really  examining 
one  particular  house,  especially  the  bow  window 
293 


St.  Jude's 

of  the  drawing-room,  for  some  sign  of  her  boy. 
And  there,  in  the  blaze  of  the  sun,  at  ease  upon 
a  couch  in  the  circle  of  the  window,  and  looking 
out  at  her  with  bold  brazen  face,  as  if  he  were 
in  the  most  natural  place  in  the  world,  and  doing 
exactly  what  he  might  have  been  expected  to  do, 
was  her  prodigal  son.  Six  seconds  later — Harry 
declared  that  Mrs.  Wetherspoon  was  the  best 
sprinter  he  had  ever  seen — the  door  opened,  and 
Mrs.  Wetherspoon  cried  with  exulting  voice : 

"Harry  is  here,  Maria,  and  looking  amazingly 
well.  He  was  wondering  when  you  would  turn 
up  to  walk  him  home,  for  he  was  certain  you 
would  guess  his  whereabouts.  Wasn't  it  sweet  of 
him  to  make  his  first  visit  to  our  house?"  By  this 
time  Harry  was  explaining. 

"You  see,  mother,  you  told  me  how  Mrs. 
Wetherspoon  had  come  herself  to  ask  for  me, 
ever  so  many  times  a  day,  and  I  thought  you 
would  like  me  to  shuffle  round  and  thank  her, 
when  I  got  on  the  warpath  again,  and  we  were 
just  waiting  tea  till  you  turned  up." 

"Grace,"  said  Mrs.  Livingstone,  "can  you  ever 
forgive  me?" 

394 


Euodias  and  Syntyche 

"It's  you,  Maria,  who  must  forgive  me."  They 
were  both  beginning  to  cry,  and  they  might  have 
said  a  lot  of  foolish  things,  but  Harry,  who  had 
been  looking  out  at  the  window  for  a  minute, 
suddenly  turned. 

"I  don't  know  how  you  people  are,  but  I'm 
beastly  hungry ;  and  I  say,  mother,  I  don't  believe 
that  dear  old  ass  of  a  doctor  would  refuse  me 
a  whack  at  Mrs.  Wetherspoon's  chocolate  cake." 

And  that  was  how  the  breach  was  healed. 


295 


H  faltbful  Stewarb 


H  JFaitbful  StewarD 

No  one  knew  him  except  the  minister,  and  the 
elder  of  his  district ;  no  one  spoke  to  him  as 
he  came  and  went  to  church  except  the  church 
officer,  who  judged  him  by  the  standard  of  reg- 
ular attendance  and  regarded  him  with  marked 
respect;  no  one  missed  him  when  he  did  not 
appear  in  his  usual  place,  except  the  other  people 
in  the  pew.  Thirty-five  years  ago  he  took  the 
sitting  next  the  wall  in  No.  41,  and  there  he  sat 
at  morning  and  evening  service  from  January 
to  December,  except  two  Sundays  in  August, 
when  he  went  on  a  holiday.  He  was.  first  to 
enter  the  Kirk,  and  the  last  to  leave;  he  was 
never  absent  on  the  worst  winter  evening  from 
the  Wednesday  service,  where  he  had  also  his 
own  place,  and  if  there  were  any  special  serv- 
ice he  was  sure  to  be  present.  To  all  the  funds 
he  contributed  finely  graduated  sums,  which 
showed  care  and  conscience,  and  if  there  were 
any  extraordinary  effort  he  subscribed  one 
299 


St.  Jude's 

guinea.  No  one  took  a  deeper  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  St.  Jude's,  but  he  never  offered  any 
suggestion  to  the  officers  of  the  church.  No 
one  could  be  a  more  devout  or  intelHgent  wor- 
shiper, but  he  never  wrote  a  single  letter  to  the 
minister.  When  he  died,  besides  the  people  in 
the  pew,  the  minister  missed  that  faithful  figure 
from  its  place,  and  »for  months  Carmichael 
looked  unconsciously  for  the  absent  gray  head. 
Quietly  he  came,  quietly  he  passed ;  his  very 
name,  James  Sim,  was  retiring  and  unassuming, 
yet  no  one  in  St.  Jude's  fulfilled  his  life  trust 
more  honestly  or  more  successfully. 

His  calling  was  that  of  a  bookkeeper  in  a 
large  firm,  and  this  office  is  one  by  itself,  and 
separates  a  man  from  his  fellows.  The  other 
clerks  are  in  the  main  current  of  the  river,  and 
no  one  knows  in  what  distant  port  their  ship 
may  land,  for  they  may  become  the  agents  of 
their  firm  abroad,  or  even  rise  to  be  its  rulers. 
They  are  men  who  have  varied  interests  and 
see  much  of  life.  They  are  in  the  midst  of 
things,  and  deal  with  men,  but  the  bookkeeper 
is  withdrawn  and  solitary ;  he  has  his  own  room 
300 


A  Faithful  Steward 

and  his  own  methods,  he  does  not  come  into 
contact  with  the  world,  his  concern  is  with  docu- 
ments, so  he  grows  silent,  introspective,  with  a 
mania  for  exactness  and  a  hatred  of  turmoil. 

For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  Sim 
had  been  chief  bookkeeper  of  the  great  East 
Indian  House,  Rothwell  Sellars,  Purves  &  Co., 
and  long  ago  he  grew  into  his  place.  At  three 
minutes  to  nine  he  entered  the  outer  office,  two 
minutes  to  nine  he  disappeared  up  the  iron  cork- 
screw stair,  which  was  the  only  means  of  com- 
munication with  his  room,  and  it  was  under- 
stood that  when  the  clock  stood  in  the  middle  of 
the  figure  nine  he  began  his  day's  work.  At  one 
o'clock,  just  when  the  echo  of  the  gun  had 
died  away,  he  began  to  come  down  the  stair. 
There  was  a  corner  in  an  old-fashioned  eating 
house  where  he  took  the  same  kind  of  lunch 
every  day  of  the  year,  and  gave  exactly  the 
same  tip  to  the  waiter.  After  luncheon  he  made 
a  circular  walk  of  twenty  minutes  round  the 
same  streets,  and  arrived  in  the  office  at  three 
minutes  to  two,  resuming  work  exactly  at  two 
o'clock.  At  five  he  reappeared,  and  he  disap- 
301 


St.  Jude's 

peared  through  the  outer  door  at  two  minutes 
past.  Neither  on  his  entering  nor  his  departure 
did  he  speak  to  the  general  staff,  but  he  always 
exchanged  a  remark  on  the  weather  with  the 
chief  cashier,  and  said  how-do-you-do  to  the 
manager.  If  by  any  chance  he  met  a  partner, 
he  saluted  him  with  respectful  dignity,  and  he 
would  acknowledge  courteously  the  salutation 
of  the  commissionaire  at  the  door.  The  office 
timed  their  watches  by  his  movements,  and  also 
gathered  the  degree  of  temperature  from  his 
particular  top-coat  while  every  one  wished  he 
could  brush  his  hat  as  smoothly. 

An  assistant  bookkeeper  sat  with  him  in  the 
mysterious  room,  but  the  spell  of  his  environ- 
ment was  on  him,  and  he  would  tell  little  of  that 
interior.  It  was  understood  that  the  silence  was 
never  broken  from  nine  to  one,  or  from  two  to 
five,  except  by  remarks  in  business  cypher,  and 
that  on  the  assistant  during  his  first  week  offer- 
ing some  irrelevant  remark  on  the  sensation  of 
the  day,  Mr.  Sim  had  indicated  that  as  a  book- 
keeper he  knew  nothing  of  the  matter,  and  that 
within  that  place  the  world  was  shut  out  and 
302 


A  Faithful  Steward 

forgotten.  Their  business  was  to  tabulate  the 
transactions  and  strike  the  profits  of  their  firm. 
They  were  to  ask  no  questions  and  to  answer 
none,  but  to  deal  with  the  written  facts  before 
them,  and  the  only  exception  was  if  a  partner 
wished  to  know  some  information.  In  such  a 
case  Mr.  Sim  came  downstairs  and  went  into 
the  partner's  room  with  solemnity  and  returned 
like  one  who  had  been  at  a  cabinet  meeting. 
Bank  holidays  and  other  times  of  occasional 
idleness  he  was  understood  to  regard  with  dis- 
favor, considering  that  an  annual  rest  in  autumn 
was  sufficient  for  a  properly  constituted  busi- 
ness man.  There  was  a  legend  among  the 
junior  clerks  that  the  bookkeeper  came  to  the 
office  on  bank  holiday  and  did  some  mysterious 
business  in  his  room,  inventing  new  methods  of 
bookkeeping  or  reading  over  the  books  of  past 
years  for  his  relaxation.  As  a  matter  of  fact  he 
went  for  a  long  and  solitary  walk  in  the  coun- 
try, partly  because  he  loved  its  quietness,  and 
partly  because  he  wished  to  use  his  leisure  con- 
scientiously, being  a  man  of  order  and  prin- 
ciple in  all  things. 

303 


St.  Jude's 

The  manager,  who  used  to  receive  excuses  for 
absence  from  members  of  the  staff  with  cynical 
criticism,  and  who  allowed  himself  to  write  let- 
ters of  strong  suggestion  regarding  the  neces- 
sity of  resisting  illness,  and  the  duty  of  return- 
ing to  work,  was  gravely  alarmed  when  a  note 
came  from  the  bookkeeper  expressing  in  formal 
terms  his  regret  that  for  the  first  time  during 
his  connection  with  Rothwells  he  was  unable 
through  sickness  to  be  present  at  his  post.  When 
three  days  had  passed  and  Mr.  Sim  had  not 
appeared,  the  manager,  a  man  of  imperfect  sym- 
pathies and  uncompromising  manner,  was  so 
shaken  that  he  went  far  out  of  his  way  to  in- 
quire for  the  bookkeeper's  health. 

He  left  the  house  with  a  grave  face,  and 
three  days  afterwards  when  the  news  of  Mr. 
Sim's  death  came  it  did  not  take  him  by  sur- 
prise. His  last  illness  was  quite  orderly  and 
uneventful.  The  doctor  came  to  see  him  once 
a  day  and  then  twice  a  day  for  a  week,  and  on 
the  last  day  brought  a  consultant.  Mr.  Sim 
was  very  courteous  and  grateful,  but  made  no 
special  inquiries  as  to  his  condition ;  he  lay 
304 


A  Faithful  Steward 

quietly  and  gave  as  little  trouble  as  possible  to 
his  faithful  landlady  with  whom  he  had  lived  for 
many  years.  When  she  asked  whether  he  wished 
to  send  for  any  friend,  he  explained  that  he 
had  no  relatives  and  that  he  should  not  dream 
of  troubling  any  one  in  the  office,  because  the 
heads  of  departments  had  enough  to  do,  and 
with  juniors  the  bookkeeper  had  no  intercourse. 
The  day  before  the  end  he  asked  his  landlady, 
if  it  were  not  too  much  trouble,  to  send  his 
compliments  to  Mr.  Carmichael,  of  St.  Jude's, 
and  to  say  that  if  he  were  passing  in  that  direc- 
tion and  could  make  it  convenient  to  call,  Mr. 
James  Sim  would  be  greatly  obliged.  Carmichael 
was  devoutly  thankful  that  he  took  this  formal 
and  colorless  message  seriously,  and  that  he 
met  his  faithful  adherent  once  more  before  he 
lost  him  forever. 

When  the  minister  saw  the  look  in  his  parish- 
ioner's eyes  he  knew  at  once  that  the  sickness 
was  unto  death,  and  that  this  was  to  be  their 
first  and  last  meeting,  but  nothing  could  be 
calmer  or  more  restrained  than  their  conversa- 
tion. Having  apologized  for  this  additional  call 
305 


St.  Jude^s 

upon  his  time,  and  having  thanked  the  minister 
for  his  prompt  response,  Mr.  Sim  explained  that 
he  had  had  the  privilege  of  attending  St,  Jude's 
Church  for  many  years,  and  that  he  had  received 
much  personal  benefit  from  Mr.  Carmichael's 
ministrations — "both  in  the  devout  conduct  of 
worship,  if  I  may  be  allowed  to  say  so,  and  in 
the  able  exposition  of  divine  truth."  He  de- 
clined to  speak  about  his  illness,  for  all  his  life 
he  had  obliterated  himself,  and  preferred  to 
express  his  good  wishes  for  St.  Jude's  Church 
and  its  minister.  He  seemed  pleased  when  Car- 
michael  offered  prayer,  and  said  Amen  with 
great  reverence.  He  also  repeated  the  Lord's 
Prayer  with  the  minister,  and  desired  him  to 
give  the  benediction.  He  bade  Carmichael  good- 
bye with  a  slightly  softened  accent,  and  was 
concerned  that  he  should  be  properly  shown  out. 
Before  the  minister  left  the  room,  Mr.  Sim  gave 
him  one  long  look,  in  which  for  an  instant  the 
mask  of  a  bookkeeper  dropped  from  his  face, 
and  he  said:  "Mr.  Carmichael,  pardon  me,  but 
though  you  do  not  know  me,  I  .  .  . .  love  you." 
When  Carmichael  returned  next  morning  he 
306 


A  Faithful  Steward 

saw  from  the  landlady's  face  that  Mr.  Sim  had 
spoken  his  last  word  to  him,  and  when  he  stood 
in  the  death  chamber  the  pathos  of  that  quiet 
life  and  that  tender  heart  came  over  him,  and 
the  minister  wept  for  the  death  of  a  true  and 
unknown  friend. 

It  was  in  keeping  with  Mr.  Sim's  character 
that  he  should  have  carefully  arranged  his  little 
affairs  and  made  provision  for  every  event.  A 
lawyer  called  that  afternoon  upon  the  minister 
to  make  arrangements  for  the  funeral,  but  he 
knew  Httle  more  than  Carmichael  about  his 
client.  "A  highly  respectable  man,"  said  the 
lawyer,  "who  held  a  responsible  position,  but 
very  retiring  in  disposition,  and  without  friends. 
In  the  instructions  which  he  gave  me  some  time 
ago  he  desired  that  there  should  be  only  one 
mourning  coach,  and  that  you  and  the  elder  of 
the  district,  for  whose  name  and  address  I  shall 
be  greatly  obliged,  the  manager  of  the  firm  and 
myself,  should  be  the  only  persons  present  at 
the  funeral.  I  consider  those  instructions  abso- 
lute, and  have  called  to  fix  the  day  and  time." 
Carmichael  agreed  that  it  was  in  keeping  with 
307 


St.  Jude's 

the  man  that  everything  should  be  done  quietly, 
and  that  the  presence  of  the  manager  should  be 
understood  to  represent  the  office ;  but  he  sug- 
gested that  there  might  be  some  person  who 
knew  Mr.  Sim,  and  who  would  like  to  be  pres- 
ent. If  the  lawyer  did  not  object,  when  the  no- 
tice of  death  was  put  in  the  paper,  the  hour  at 
which  the  funeral  would  leave  Mr.  Sim's  lodg- 
ings might  be  mentioned.  After  careful  consid- 
eration the  lawyer  agreed  that  this  was  not  an 
invitation,  and  as  nobody  was  likely  to  come, 
could  do  no  injury.  And  in  those  terms  the 
notice  of  Mr.  James  Sim's  death  appeared  in  the 
morning  paper,  and  was  repeated  again  in  the 
evening  paper.  That  was  the  only  reference 
ever  made  to  Mr.  James  Sim  in  the  public  prints 
and  the  only  formal  record  of  his  history,  unless 
many  years  before  some  paper  had  announced 
his  birth.  Certainly  he  was  born,  and  he  did  live 
sixty-five  years,  and  after  this  fashion  he  died. 

When  Carmichael  arrived  with  his  elder  on  the 

morning  of  the  funeral,  the  modest  hearse  and 

single   mourning  coach  touched   his   heart.     It 

seemed  to  him  one  of  the  tragedies  of  life  that 

308 


A  Faithful  Steward 

this  faithful  soul  who  had  done  his  duty  so 
thoroughly  and  uncomplainingly  should  be  laid 
to  rest  without  a  wreath  of  gratitude  from  his 
fellows,  and  he  climbed  the  stairs  with  a  de- 
pressed mind.  Before  he  reached  the  door  he 
heard  steps  behind  him,  and  a  respectably- 
dressed  man,  like  a  foreman  engineer,  asked 
him  in  an  accent  which  could  be  cut  with  a 
knife,  whether  this  was  the  place  where  Mr. 
Sim  had  lived,  and  explained  that  he  I'ad  come 
to  his  burial.  Standing  on  the  landing,  and  be- 
fore he  entered  the  house,  the  engineer  told  his 
story  and  explained  his  presence.  "Ye  must 
understand,  sir,  that  w^hen  I  was  a  young  lad  I 
attended  the  class  he  held  in  a  room  in  Rorison 
street.  For  twenty  year  he  rented  that  bit  room 
and  gave  the  best  education  he  could  to  maybe 
half  a  dozen  laddies  in  reading,  writin'  and 
'rithmetic,  with  a  touch  of  bookkeeping,  and 
juist  a  look  into  mathematics.  He  didna  say 
much,  and  he  was  very  strict,  but  my  word  the 
trouble  he  took  and  the  time  he  gave  to  laddies 
that  had  no  claim  on  him,  and  whom  he  picked 
up  from  the  district." 

309 


St.  Jude's 

They  were  still  standing  on  the  landing,  and 
Carmichael  invited  the  engineer  to  continue,  for 
the  honest  man  had  evidently  much  to  say. 

"When  a  laddie  would  come  to  fifteen  Mr. 
Sim  would  go  roond  the  city  to  get  him  a  situa- 
tion, maybe  as  a  clerk,  or  maybe  as  a  workman. 
It  didna  matter  how  long  it  took  him,  or  how 
mony  rebuffs  he  got,  he  was  terrible  perseverin', 
and  he  aye  succeeded.  But  nae  doubt  ye  know 
aboot  this  yersel',  for  I'm  believin'  you  were 
his  minister." 

"Never  heard  one  word  of  it,"  said  Car- 
michael, "and  I  don't  believe  anybody  except 
you  and  his  laddies  know ;  I  want  to  hear  every- 
thing before  I  go  in.  So  he  got  you  all  places 
after  he'd  educated  you?" 

"That  he  did,"  said  the  engineer  with  em- 
phasis. "I'll  be  bound  Mr.  Sim  started  dozens  o' 
laddies  in  their  life  work.  Man,"  and  the  engi- 
neer grew  very  enthusiastic,  "I  mind  fine  when 
he  said  to  me  in  his  precise  way,  'Thomas,  I  am 
glad  to  tell  you  that  Messrs.  Leslie  &  Co.,  the 
large  engineers,  have  agreed  to  take  you  as  an 
apprentice  without  any  premium.  You  will  tell 
310 


I 


A  Faithful  Steward 

your  mother  of  this  excellent  opportunity,  and 
you  are  to  go  to  work  at  six  o'clock  next  Mon- 
day ;  and  I  trust,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  that 
you  will  have  a  prosperous  and  successful 
career.'  I  can  repeat  every  word,  sir;  ye  dinna 
forget  the  likes  o'  that. 

"Na,  na,"  for  the  engineer  was  now  at  full 
steam  ahead,  "my  father  was  dead,  and  there 
was  nobody  to  help  me.  When  I  told  my  mother 
that  night  she  fairly  grat,  and  as  long  as  she 
lived,  and  she  was  a  gude  woman  and  had  a 
sair  fecht,  she  aye  mentioned  Mr.  Sim's  name  in 
her  prayers. 

"More  than  that,  he  never  forgot  ye  after- 
wards ;  and  mony  a  letter  of  advice  I've  had 
from  him  when  I  was  far  awa'.  Now  I've  got  a 
shore  appointment,  and  I've  a  wife  and  three 
bairns.  I'm  expectin'  some  day  to  be  chief  en- 
gineer of  the  fleet,  and  I  tell  you,  sir,  I  owe 
everything  to  the  man  we've  come  to  bury." 
And  Carmichael  hurried  into  the  house,  for  it  is 
not  good  to  look  upon  a  strong  man  when  he 
has  broken  down,  and  all  the  more  if  the  tears 
be  in  your  own  eyes. 

311 


St.  Jude's 

It  was  evident  that  people  had  not  known  Mr. 
James  Sim,  and  that  there  was  going  to  be  sur- 
prises that  day.  He  had  led  a  double  life,  and 
the  other  life  was  going  to  assert  itself  after  he 
had  gone. 

"There's  a  splendid  fellow  outside,"  he  said 
to  the  lawyer,  "whom  Mr.  Sim  has  simply  made, 
and  who  has  come  to  show  his  gratitude.  That 
makes  five  mourners,  and  I  have  a  strong  sus- 
picion more  will  be  turning  up,  for  it  is  still  ten 
minutes  to  the  hour.  One  mourning  coach  is 
not  enough ;  I  prophesy  you'll  need  three  by  the 
time  the  company  is  gathered — and,  look  here, 
this  is  going  to  be  real  mourning." 

As  they  were  speaking  a  man,  say  about 
thirty,  entered,  and  one  knew  at  once  by  his 
appearance  that  he  was  a  successful  merchant; 
there  was  about  him  that  suggestion  of  alert- 
ness, self-confidence,  foresight,  integrity.  Glanc- 
ing round  the  room  he  introduced  himself  to 
Carmichael,  whom  he  knew  by  sight. 

"I  was  shocked  to  see  the  notice  of  Mr. 
Sim's  death  in  the  paper,  for  I  had  no  idea  he 
was  ill,  and  I  am  thankful  to  have  this  oppor- 
312 


A  Faithful  Steward 

tunity  of  doing  a  poor  honor  to  my  best  bene- 
factor. Had  it  not  been  for  the  help  he  gave 
me,  a  lad  without  father  or  mother,  in  a  Httle 
class  that  nobody  ever  heard  of,  and  the  good 
advice  I  received  from  him  in  critical  years,  I 
should  never  have  come  to  my  present  position. 
I  am  a  junior  partner  in  Pride  Brothers,  whose 
name  may  be  known  to  you  as  wholesale  ware- 
housemen. Mr.  Sim  had  only  a  limited  salary, 
but  he  not  only  paid  all  the  expenses  of  his  little 
class,  including  the  rent  of  the  room,  the  light 
and  firing  and  the  books,  but  he  helped  his  boys 
afterwards,  when  they  were  office  lads  and  ap- 
prentices. I  know  that  my  first  three  holidays 
were  paid  out  of  his  pocket.  If  every  man  did 
as  much  good  as  Mr.  Sim,  this  would  be  a  dif- 
ferent world."  And  the  merchant  was  almost  as 
much  moved  as  the  engineer,  who  was  now  sit- 
ting on  the  chair  next  the  door  staring  with 
immovable  countenance  into  the  eternities. 

By  this  time  even  the  lawyer,  a  man  not  given 

to  imagination  or  swayed  by  sentiment,  began 

to  grasp  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  private 

career  of  Mr.  James  Sim,  Bookkeeper,  and  has- 

3^3 


St.  Jude's 

tened  to  arrange  for  more  mourning  coaches 
and  more  chairs  in  the  simple  sitting-room 
where  Sim  spent  his  evenings  when  he  was  not 
out  teaching  his  class  or  visiting  the  widows  and 
the  fatherless. 

"He  was  a  cautious  man,"  said  the  landlady 
to  Carmichael  afterward,  "and  keepit  himself  to 
himself;  he  never  said  where  he  was  going  or 
what  he  was  doing,  but  he  was  oot  nearly  every 
nicht  on  some  work  of  his  own,  and  I  knew  it 
was  always  gude  work.  There  were  times  when 
young  laddies  would  come  to  see  him  here,  and 
he  would  have  long  confabs  with  them,  and  puir 
respectable  women,  mostly  widows,  and  I  no- 
ticed that  if  they  came  cast  down,  they  aye 
went  awa  comforted.  That  cupboard,"  said 
the  landlady,  "was  little  better  than  a  grocer's 
shop,  for  he  had  it  filled  with  pounds  o'  tea  and 
sugar,  and  such  like;  aye  he  would  have  corn- 
flour and  things  like  arrowroot  for  sick  folk ;  I'm 
no  saying  that  he  hadna  peppermint-drops. 
Everything  was  arranged  on  the  shelves  as  neat 
as  you  like,  and  afore  he  went  out  I've  seen 
him  slip  a  packet  of  this  or  a  packet  o'  that  into 
314 


A  Faithful  Steward 

his  coat  tail  pocket.  But  mind  ye  he  didna  hke 
you  to  see  him  takin'  things  out  o'  his  store,  and 
I  daurna  make  ony  remark.  Mr.  Sim  was  pecu- 
har  in  some  of  his  ways,  but  I'm  expectin' 
there's  mony  a  hard-working  woman,  and  mony 
a  strugglin'  laddie  has  blessed  his  name.  What 
he  did  was  done  in  secret,  and  he  would  be  clean 
ashamed  if  he  knew  how  it  had  come  to  the 
light  o'  day." 

It  certainly  did  come  to  the  light  with  a  ven- 
geance on  the  day  of  the  funeral,  for  the  wit- 
nesses to  the  work  of  Mr.  Sim  came  in  proces- 
sion up  the  stair  down  which  he  had  gone  on 
his  evening  errand  of  mercy,  till  there  were  no 
vacant  places  in  the  room,  and  the  overflow  had 
to  sit  in  the  landlady's  parlor.  Carmichael  did  his 
best  to  interview  each  one  with  brevity  and  sym- 
pathy, for  he  seemed  to  be  laying  the  unexpected 
wreaths  of  gratitude  and  afifection,  more  last- 
ing than  Easter  lilies,  upon  the  tomb  of  this 
modest,  unselfish  Christian  man.  They  were 
indeed  of  various  kinds  and  conditions,  this 
congregation  of  unaffected  mourners.  A  young 
doctor  working  among  the  poor  in  the  East  end, 
315 


St.  Jude's 

whose  love  of  knowledge  had  been  started  in 
that  class  room ;  a  stalwart  policeman,  who  but 
for  those  evenings  might  have  been  a  criminal, 
but  instead  thereof  was  a  guardian  of  the 
peace ;  a  substantial  tradesman  who  had  worked 
his  way  up  from  a  message  boy  to  his  own  pro- 
vision shop,  and  in  later  years  used  often  to 
send  a  parcel  of  goods  for  Mr.  Sim's  distribu- 
tion; a  young  clerk  who  had  just  become  inde- 
pendent of  assistance  and  who  had  received  so 
many  kindnesses  that  he  was  hardly  able  to  play 
the  man ;  a  sturdy  and  reticent  stone  mason,  who 
would  not  be  drawn  further  than  this,  "I  had 
gude  reason  to  ken  Mr.  Sim;"  a  delicate  looking 
man  who  was  an  assistant  in  a  draper's  shop, 
whose  life  had  been  saved  by  a  visit  to  the 
country,  paid  for  by  his  old  teacher;  the  third 
officer  of  a  sea-going  liner  who  happened  to  be 
in  Glasgow  at  the  time,  and  came  to  the  funeral 
of  his  early  friend. 

Each  man  had  his  own  history  and  his  own 

debt,  and  there  were  many  more  who  had  not 

heard   and  perhaps  might  never  hear  of  their 

benefactor's  death.    Some  had  gone  before  him, 

316 


A  Faithful  Steward 

and  he  had  seen  them  through  their  last  sickness 
— curious  to  say,  this  silent  and  pedantic  man 
was  very  welcome  and  very  tactful  in  the  sick- 
rooms of  those  he  visited ;  some  had  gone 
abroad  and  were  far  away,  and  among  Mr.  Sim's 
papers  were  letters  from  every  quarter  of  the 
world  from  his  lads  on  the  nitrate  fields,  on 
Western  ranches,  in  Canadian  backwoods,  in 
Eastern  cities  and  almost  every  colony  of  the 
Empire.  Those  he  had  carefully  kept  and  dock- 
eted and  his  landlady  found  him  from  time  to 
time  reading  them  carefully. 

Upon  Carmichael's  suggestion,  they  waited  be- 
yond the  time  to  make  sure  that  the  last  of  this 
unique  company  had  gathered,  and  then  when 
they  reached  the  street  it  was  found  that  they 
numbered  not  four,  but  twenty-four.  This  was 
not  to  be  a  funeral  where  empty  carriages  were 
sent  as  a  mark  of  respect;  this  day  there  was 
to  be  a  difficulty  in  accommodating  a  gathering 
of  sorrowing  friends.  The  one  mourning  coach 
had  been  reinforced  by  two  more,  but  beyond 
that  cabs  had  been  called  into  requisition,  and 
so  they  started,  not  with  one,  but  with  six  car- 
317 


St.  Jude's 

riages  following  the  hearse.  When  they  came 
to  the  cemetery  and  made  their  way  to  the  quiet 
comer  where  a  grave  had  been  selected,  an- 
other congregation  was  waiting.  It  was  not 
common  in  those  days  for  women  to  go  to  a 
funeral  in  Scotland,  and  they  would  not  have 
dreamed  of  attending  the  service  in  the  house. 
It  was  thought  unbecoming  that  women  should 
be  present  at  such  trying  functions,  lest  per- 
chance they  might  break  down  and  disturb  the 
solemnity,  and  because  the  awful  and  arduous 
affairs  of  life,  according  to  the  Scots  idea,  should 
be  left  in  the  hands  of  men. 

But  round  the  grave  of  James  Sim  a  group 
of  women  had  gathered,  and  no  one  looking  at 
them  could  fail  to  read  the  reason  of  their  pres- 
ence, or  would  have  had  the  heart  to  forbid  it. 
They  were  aged  women  who  had  been  his  pen- 
sioners, widows  whom  he  had  comforted  in  their 
straits ;  mothers  whose  sons  he  had  aided,  wives 
whose  husbands  owed  their  all  to  him.  They 
were  in  the  best  black  they  could  command, 
but  their  garments  were  only  a  sign  of  their 
hearts;  they  carried  themselves  with  dignity  as 
3i8 


A  Faithful  Steward 

Scotswomen  try  to  do  on  such  occasions,  not 
causing  their  voices  to  be  heard,  nor  doing  any- 
thing to  make  the  duty  of  the  minister  harder 
than  it  was,  but  the  tears  were  flowing  silently 
as  they  stood,  an  outer  fringe  round  the  men 
at  the  grave. 

Precedence  at  a  Scots  funeral  is  a  delicate 
question  and  is  carefully  adjusted.  It  is  settled 
by  nearness  of  kin  or  marriage  relationship,  but 
this  day  it  solved  itself,  for  the  bonds  were 
those  neither  of  blood,  nor  marriage,  but  of  love. 
This  man  had  no  one  of  his  family  to  do  him 
the  last  tribute  of  respect,  but  he  had  made  such 
good  use  of  his  single  talent  that  God  was  re- 
storing it  to  him  with  usury. 

After  the  cofiin  as  they  carried  it  to  the 
grave,  came  the  four  invited  mourners  and  then 
the  others  arranged  themselves  as  they  pleased, 
giving  the  first  place  to  the  merchant,  the  engi- 
neer, and  the  doctor.  Men  and  women,  they 
were  gathered,  not  in  answer  to  a  printed  letter 
on  black-edged  paper,  but  in  answer  to  the  grati- 
tude and  the  regret  of  their  hearts,  and  when 
loving  hands  let  down  James  Sim's  body  into 
319 


St.  Jude's 

the  grave  Carmichael   lifted   up  his  voice  and 
prayed : 

"Heavenly  Father,  who  art  the  source  of  every 
good  and  beautiful  work,  being  gathered  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  in  respect  to  the 
memory  of  thy  faithful  servant,  James  Sim,  we 
render  thee  thanks  with  one  heart  for  his  kind- 
ness unto  widows  and  orphans,  to  poor  lads  and 
sick  people,  whereby  he  manifested  thy  love  and 
commended  the  faith  of  thy  Son.  And  we 
earnestly  beseech  thee  to  shed  abroad  the  same 
love  in  the  hearts  of  thy  servants  present,  and 
to  bestow  upon  us  the  same  humility,  that  we 
also  may  fulfill  our  stewardship  as  he  has  done, 
and  in  the  last  day  may  be  also  accepted  of  thee 
through  the  merits  and  intercession  of  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord."     And  many  said  Amen. 

The  family  which  he  had  won  for  himself  set 
up  a  simple  cross,  draped  with  Easter  lilies  to 
the  memory  of  their  benefactor,  with  this  in- 
scription, 

James  Sim. 
"Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant." 


320 


H07 


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